Misjudged Whispers
by Lady of the Labyrinth
Summary: After recieving threats for Jareth's wellbeing I have uploaded a new chapter. Sarah has come to the underground and is adjusting well maybe we'll let you be the judge of that!
1. Mysterious Lyrics

_**Misjudged Whispers**_

Hi, it is I, the authoress, better known as Lady of the Labyrinth (note the spaces). This is the first time that I have put any of my stories concerning Sarah on fanfiction, and, to be honest, I'm a little nervous. This is only a short fic, with an abrupt ending, but if I get enough reviews I might take the story a bit further. I do enjoy getting your feedback, so do review. This is rated thus as it involves Sarah getting beaten to a bloody pulp- why do all my stories have someone getting the crap kicked out of them?

Disclaimer- I own not the Labyrinth, that is, until Jareth marries me, THEN I'll own it. I also don't own Wheel of Fortune. Geez, do I own anything?

Quote: "It's not over till you're Underground" Greenday, Letterbomb

Chapter One

Mysterious Lyrics

LLLLLLLLLLLL

'How you've turned my world, you precious thing!'

Sarah Williams started in fear and looked around wildly.

'You starve and near exhaust me!' the mysterious voice came again.

Sarah couldn't see anyone, least of all the person who was singing. She glanced down at her sheepdog, Merlin. He didn't look flustered. In actual fact, he was sleeping. He obviously couldn't hear what Sarah was hearing.

And that frightened Sarah.

The song had sent waves of intense panic through her system, travelling up and down her spine. Sarah looked around again, but she was alone, just watching Wheel of Fortune on T.V. in her father's living room.

Sarah began to calm down. Her breathing, which had sped up alarmingly, died down to its usual pace. Her body, stiff with shock and stress, relaxed. But she knew who had sung that song.

_The Goblin King_, she thought. It had been his, Jareth's, voice, that Sarah was sure of. But she hadn't thought about him (_yeah, right, you think about him every day!_ said an unpleasant voice in Sarah's head), let alone heard his voice of seen him, in two years.

Sarah shuddered as long discarded memories unearthed themselves in her mind and were shoved, mercilessly, into the light.

Jareth, the Goblin King, had stolen (not_ STOLEN_, the little voice corrected,_ you GAVE Toby to him, remember?_) Sarah's half brother, Toby, and taken him to the Goblin City. Sarah had saved Toby and completely humiliated Jareth, ruining his castle and usurping his Labyrinth's undisputable reputation as 'unbeatable'.

Sarah had lived in dread of Jareth's swift, harsh vengeance for a month or two, then she had sat herself down and given herself a reality check; the Goblin King hasn't come to get you yet, and, in all likeliness, he probably never will.

Sarah had never called the Goblin King by his first name.

_Perhaps_, Sarah thought, _this is it. Maybe he'll come for me and sentence me to a lifetime in his dungeon, or an oubliette, or put me on the rack, or _(she shuddered, as this punishment seemed like the worst one) _maybe he'll make me clean after his goblins! Yuck! Or, then again, maybe he'll just drive me insane. That seems more humane than the other options. And, besides, it's working already._

Sarah put her head her hands and tried to compose herself.

'Well, if he's gonna come, he'll come and there's no point worrying about it,' she muttered to herself. She got up and went to her room.

She put on her nightgown and turned out her light, stumbling into bed. She half-consciously reached for her teddy bear, Lancelot, then remembered that he belonged to Toby now.

As soon as it hit the pillow, Sarah's head was filled with whispers.

'Sarah, go back to…What a pity…Really?…Well, let's see..' strange and disjointed phrases chased themselves over and under in her mind.

Sarah wrapped her pillow around her head and groaned.

_I suppose this is REALLY funny to him_, she thought sardonically.

She sat up and said very clearly, 'Excuse me, but I have school in the morning, so if you don't mind COULD YOU PLEASE KEEP IT DOWN!'

The whispering stopped- for the moment.

Sarah lay back down and pulled the bedclothes up around her. 'Thanks,' she murmured.

She closed her eyes and was halfway to sleep when the whispers came again. They were soft this time, like delicate waves of silk sifting through Sarah's mind.

Sarah gave a little sigh then fell asleep to the gentle flow of the Goblin king's voice.

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	2. Headaches

That first chapter was just to see how people like this story- thus two chapters today!

Thanks to

Moonjava- Always the first to review 

Solea- Thanks, I wanted to make Sarah a little bit temperamental

Chapter Two

Headaches

LLLLLLLLLLLLLL

When Sarah woke up the next morning, the whispers had stopped.

As she got ready for school, Sarah, relieved of the constant nuisance of Jareth's voice, even questioned if she had heard him at all. She began to think of it, as she had begun to think of her time in the Labyrinth, as a dream, a hallucination.

She convinced herself that she had imagined the voice, that warm, English-accented voice, and set off for school.

Sarah, following her usual tradition, met up with her make-up-addicted friends and gossiped away (or, listened to them gossip away) until the bell for homeroom.

Sarah walked into homeroom and said a cheery 'hello' to Mrs Blenkins, whom she liked very much.

The bell rang again, this time for first period. Sarah started out for her first lesson, Drama, accompanied by her best friend, Jenny.

'Mmm,' Jenny murmured. 'Mr Ross is lookin' _fine_!'

'Yeah,' Sarah agreed.

This admiring conversation ignited a scoff from somewhere behind the two and Sarah turned around in her seat to scowl at the scoffer, finding that she could not identify the originator of the disapproving sound. All of the people behind her were looking at Mr Ross in the same way that her friend Jenny was, so she wondered who had slighted him.

'Miss Williams, if you would be so kind as to turn around so that we all can see your pretty face, I would be most obliged,' said Mr Ross.

Sarah, her face burning, did as her teacher had bidden and set her eyes resolutely toward the front of the room.

Both Jenny and Sarah, and pretty much every other girl in the school, perved on Mr Ross. He was in his twenties, had shoulder length blonde hair and a perfectly toned physique. Both aforementioned girls had given him the pet name 'Dreamboat'.

And both girls were sad, even Sarah, who had been chastened, when the school bell rang, signalling the end of class.

Sarah departed for Physics, while Jenny went to Home Economics.

Once in her class, Sarah got out her books and began to copy down what her teacher had written on the blackboard.

About halfway through writing about selected integers, the whispering came again, soft at first, then agonisingly loud. Phrases and taunts from her journey into the Labyrinth belted themselves through her mind, pushing out every other thought, especially any thoughts concerning Physics.

Sarah clasped her hands over her ears in an attempt to minimize the sound, to no avail, the sound only got louder. She asked her teacher for a sickroom pass, her request being granted immediately as she looked so pale and out-of-sorts.

Sarah went to the office and called her stepmother, Karen, on the receptionist's telephone.

'Karen? It's Sarah. I have a horrible headache and I can't concentrate. Can you come and take me home?'

'You're not just doing this to get out of doing something, are you?' asked Karen suspiciously.

'No, I'm just sick,' said Sarah, knowing not to take offence at Karen's condescending tone.

'Fine, I'll come and pick you up,' said Karen and she hung up.

Sarah waited in the office for Karen to get her.

'Howdy, stranger,' said a cheerful voice.

Sarah looked up with a grin. 'Hi Angus!'

Angus was Sarah's boy-friend turned boyfriend. He had finally gotten up the nerve to ask her out only the month previous.

Sarah liked him; he was tall, had brown hair and was very sweet. He was always surprising her. He was everything a seventeen-year-old Sarah could want in a boyfriend.

'Are you going home?' Angus asked, concern in his voice.

'Yeah. I've got a headache, you know, the kind that makes you wish you had a jackhammer going in your head instead,' joked Sarah.

Angus sat down next to her and put his arm around her. 'Can I still get a kiss, then?'

Sarah smiled. 'Of course you can.' She sat up straighter and kissed him.

'BUT I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU-OO

'AS THE WORLD FALLS DOWN.'

Sarah pulled away with a groan of pain. Jareth's voice was pounding through her head, filling her every nerve with pain. She cradled her head in her hands.

'Sarah, are you alright?' Angus asked anxiously.

'No, argh! It's my head!'

A car horn sounded in the school parking lot.

'That'll be Karen,' Sarah groaned. 'See you tomorrow.' She got up, grabbed her bag and almost ran from the school office, the Goblin King's lovesong racing through her head.

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	3. Old Friends

Chapter Three

Old Friends

Sarah lay in bed with a wet face cloth on her forehead and a bottle of extra-strong Headache-Eze on her bedside table.

It was ten o'clock and moonlight was filtering through the leaves of the tree outside her window. But Sarah could not appreciate the beauty of it tonight; her mind was still reeling with Jareth's voice. He was certainly not being as obliging tonight as he was yester eve. He was relentless.

Sarah suddenly sat bolt upright in bed. She couldn't take it anymore.

She went to her vanity and sat down in front of the mirror. The reflection that Sarah saw in the mirror was nothing less than horrifying; she was deathly pale from lack of sleep and constant headaches, her grey eyes were dark and fearful, her long brown hair tangled and tussled from lying on her bed all afternoon.

Sarah took her brush an drew it through her hair a few times, making it look passable, then she straightened her nightgown and put on her dressing gown. She sat back down in her chair and faced her now slightly better looking reflection.

'Hoggle, Sir Didymus, Ludo- I need you.'

In a flash, all of Sarah's labyrinthine friends appeared in her mirror.

'My Lady, thou art not looking well. Is something the matter?' Sir Didymus asked hesitantly.

'Well, I'm in my senior year of high-school, my stepmother hates my guts and I have the Goblin King screaming in my head, which really hurts, by the way. Yourself?' Sarah tried to appear light-hearted.

'His Majesty is in your mind?' asked a confused Sir Didymus.

'Apparently. I don't know why he's doing it, but that's why I called you. I need help; he just yells in my head and it's driving me _nuts_. Do you have any ideas?' Sarah asked her friends hopefully.

'Sawa nuts?' Ludo roared.

'Yeah, seemingly. Maybe he's doing it to punish me for beating him; I knew he'd be a sore loser. And,' Sarah bit her lip apologetically, 'I really am sorry that I haven't called you lately. I've had a lot on my plate.'

'Of course, fair maiden,' said Didymus, bowing.

'Well,' Hoggle began slowly, as though weighing up his words, 'by my reckoning, for his Highness to have the ability to speak in your mind, he would have to have a bit of himself in your world, probably near you.'

'Hmm,' Sarah was suspicious, 'I think you know more than you let on, Hoggle.'

Hoggle shrugged. 'I know only what I hear.'

Sarah pursed her lips, but said nothing more on the subject. 'So…I should be looking for a bit of him?'

Hoggle furrowed his brow (Ludo imitated him). 'Did you bring anything with you, from here, I mean?'

Sarah considered. 'No, I didn't bring anything.'

'Then perhaps the king left something here himself,' Didymus interjected.

'But what would he leave?' Sarah mused.

'Cwystal, cwystal,' Ludo thundered (he never really could pronounce 'R's). He had stopped imitating Hoggle.

'One of his crystals? Maybe…I'll look, but I haven't seen anything like that. But if any of you see _him_, could you _please_ tell him to keep it down while I try to sleep?' asked Sarah hopefully.

Hoggle smiled. 'I'll see what I can do. Goodbye, Sarah.' He ran out of the mirror.

'We should take our leave too, my brother,' said Sir Didymus, leading Ludo away. 'Farewell, sweet Maiden.'

'Bye, bye, Sarah,' Ludo's voice sounded faint.

'Goodbye,' whispered Sarah.

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Please review


	4. Hidden Within

Thankyou all so much for reviewing. The story is almost finished, I fear. But, as I said I could take it further with a few good ideas- anyone want to lend me a muse?

Ophelia Eternal- Thanks for the tip, but Sarah stays perfectly sane- almost. That's another thing with my stories: why do they always have someone almost going insane? Geez

Moonjava- Thanks muchly. Your reviews get me through.

Morrigana- Here's the next update, spesh for you.

Solea- I know, perving is so out. I don't think I mentioned this- but Jareth is the one who sniggered at Sarah's conversation. For those who realised this- I commend you. And as for your other question- Jareth really doesn't know how Sarah would cope with him saying stuff like 'I love you' and other corny stuff like that in her mind. He's a real misguided dude when it comes to love.

ItsACrystalNothingMore- Thanks, it's really cool to be complemented with someone who has written so many stories and who knows Conner directly. Do you have his number?

Turtle on the road- I know- wouldn't we all? Except maybe not so loud…But I guess he wanted to get his point across.

BOWIEgirl- Love you! If you keep this up I mayn't send my ferocious minions after you.

'Grrr' says LadyL's Goblins

Chapter Four

Hidden Within

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Sarah had the next day off from school, so she spent the day searching for anything that the Goblin King may have left behind in order to make her life miserable. Her search was fruitless, however, as she found nothing that could possibly have, once or ever, been classified as belonging to Jareth.

'Sarah! Put Toby to bed please!' Karen's shrill voice rang through the house.

Sarah sighed and went up to the nursery where Toby was playing.

'Hey, Tobes- WOAH!' Sarah stumbled and clutched at the doorframe. Jareth's voice had become louder and clearer just after she had come into her brother's room.

Sarah shook her head, trying to clear it, and went into the nursery. With every step he took Jareth's voice got louder. It was relentless.

Sarah was panting with the effort to keep from screaming at the unfairness of it all as she bent down and picked up her little brother and put him in his crib.

'Bear!' Toby howled. He was beginning to speak, but normal sentences with more than two words were completely beyond him.

Sarah glanced down at the floor. Toby had dropped his bear Lancelot. Sarah had given Lancelot to Toby after she had rescued him from the Labyrinth.

Sarah picked up the battered teddy bear, then stopped.

'_Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave! Love me…Love me…Love me…'_

The voice had come clear and deafening as soon as she had picked Lancelot up, echoing off into her mind, then stopping completely.

Sarah reeled slightly as her head was free from whispers for the first time in what seemed like aeons.

Narrowing her eyes, Sarah felt Lancelot and, sure enough, there was a hard spot in his chest- a hard spot that should not have been there.

Sarah turned to her baby brother. 'Can I borrow him, Tobes?' she asked.

'O.K.,' said Toby in his cute baby voice.

'Thanks, partner,' Sarah ruffled Toby's hair and laid him down in his crib. 'Now go to sleep.' She kissed Toby's brow and went out of the nursery, heading for her room.

Sarah pulled her box of sewing things out from under her bed and, laying Lancelot down on her bed, pulled out her scissors.

Sarah found the seam of Lancelot's back and split it. She gritted her teeth and widened the gap at the bear's back, then pulled out a wad of his stuffing. And another.

Sarah cleared away a few strands of soft padding and gasped.

Inside, nestled on a bed of stuffing, was one of the Goblin King's crystals.

Sarah didn't dare touch it. _So **that's** how he's been getting into my head!_ She thought triumphantly, but then- _How dare he use Lancelot in this way! Grr, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind…If I ever see him…_

Sarah looked away from the crystal. She realised that her mind was clear. Her mind was free- for the moment.

Sarah heard Karen pull out of the driveway in the car.

_She must be doing the shopping, _Sarah thought. _Perfect._

She went to her vanity and sat down, again calling on her friends.

'Ludo, Hoggle, Sir Didimus- I need you.'

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	5. In the Flesh

Chapter Five

In the Flesh

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

All three appeared in the mirror.

'I've found it, his crystal. I've found it,' said Sarah in a rush.

'Well done, Sarah!' said Hoggle grinned.

'Yes, well met, my lady,' Sir Didimus agreed.

'Sawa, Sawa!' cheered Ludo.

'But what will I do with it? Should I smash it, or will there be bad luck repercussions, like if you break a mirror? Should I throw it out? Should I give it to one of you to give back to him?' Sarah closed her eyes and buried her head in her arms. 'I mean, I just want to get back to my normal life. Now-'

'Um Sarah,' Hoggle interrupted as the air in Sarah's room shivered.

'-let me tell you', Sarah didn't hear and continued her babbling, 'it is soooo annoying when you're in physics learning about integers and-'

'My lady,' Sir Didimus sounded worried.

' –someone with a morality problem starts yelling in your head at the volume of a heavy metal concert,' Sarah finished with a sigh.

'I shouldn't think that you were so fond of integers that you wouldn't refuse having a little distraction.'

Sarah's jaw clenched. 'He's right behind me, isn't he?' said Sarah dryly.

Hoggle and the others didn't need to answer.

Sarah opened her eyes and stood up, facing the man who stood next to her bookcase.

The man was the Goblin King, in the flesh. He had platinum hair cut at odd angles, thin lips and mismatched eyes- one blue and one green. He was not overly muscular, but he wasn't skinny either- lean and powerful.

Jareth was decked out in his black finery; a black high-collared cloak with blue glitter stuck on, a black shirt with a leather vest over it inscribed with his design (the sickle shaped pendant with a gold carving at its centre), black tights, black gloves and black boots.

Sarah swallowed anxiously. ' I believe you left something of yours behind,' she said. She would have preferred saying something like: 'What the hell are you doing here? I didn't call you! Get lost!' but she was too intimidated.

Jareth grinned at her. 'Yes I did.' He turned to the mirror in agitation when he heard Hoggle's deserving snigger. 'Leave us!'

Sarah's three friends scuttled away, Hoggle with a defeated look.

Sarah swallowed again now that she had no backup. She waved her hand vaguely at the crystal still sticking out of Lancelot's back. 'So are you just here to pick it up, or…' she trailed off hopelessly.

'Or what,' Jareth teased.

'I don't know…' Sarah was terrified, she just couldn't help it. She was sure that Jareth could sense her fear, like a dog can sense fear.

'So, Sarah,' Jareth began, walking toward her, 'how have you been?' Of course, he knew exactly how she'd been – exactly how close he'd been to being forgotten by the only one he had ever loved- not that she knew that.

Sarah retreated backward, away from Jareth. 'Um…Fine.'

''Fine'? Well, that's good.'

Sarah tripped over her schoolbag and fell, sprawled, over her bed. She collected herself and edged away from Jareth who was still advancing toward her. She cringed against the bed head, watching the Goblin King.

Jareth stood next to the bed and rested his arm lightly against the bed head. He reached down to Sarah.

Sarah flinched and squeezed her eyes shut; calling on the childish logic: If I can't see it, it's not there. This logic is usually used against monsters, but Sarah thought it appropriate to use in this instance.

When Sarah opened her eyes, Jareth was over the other side of the room.

He had seen how frightened she was, how she recoiled from him. As much as he wanted to touch her: Jareth knew that if he did, she would become more afraid of him than ever.

Sarah looked away from him, and her eyes rested on herself - or, more accurately, her clothes. _Shit!_ She swore inwardly. Since she had been homebound today, she hadn't bothered to change out of her flimsy, frilly white nightgown. The slip was almost see-through and Sarah expected that Jareth was enjoying every minute of seeing her practically naked.

Sarah bit the inside of her cheek. 'Why are you here?' she asked more bravely than she felt. She carried on without giving him a chance to speak. 'Why have you been enchanting my mind? Do you take some kind of perverse pleasure in tormenting me?' Sarah stood up and rolled her shoulders back, fixing her nightgown so that it didn't cling to her chest. 'Why are you here?'

Jareth smiled. This was the Sarah that he had fallen in love with- strong-willed and fiery; not frightened and cringing. 'Isn't it obvious?' he asked with his warm almost-British accent. He stepped over to her, standing right in front of her, his breath tickling her face, he was so close. 'I want,' he purred softly, making Sarah's pulse race and her face grow hot, '_you_'

'What do you mean?' whispered Sarah.

Jareth smiled affectionately at her, admiring her innocence. 'How can I make it any simpler? I want you, I _need_ you. Come back with me, Sarah.'

This was not what Sarah had expected. Not at all. 'Why should I?' she asked.

Jareth was getting very annoyed now. It was not easy for him to lay open his soul, and Sarah was just not comprehending what he was saying. He took a step back from her and balled his hands into fists, trying to keep his temper under control. Too late.

'Because! What can your _Angus,'_ he spoke the name like a curse, ' give you that I cannot ten-fold! What does he feel for you that I do not a thousand times over!'

Sarah was completely numb now. _Is he saying what I think he's saying?_ She

thought. 'He surprises me with a kiss when I'm upset. He goes and sees, he even _pays_ to see, chic flicks with me at the movies. He doesn't think that I look like a beetroot when I cry. He _loves_ me!' Sarah insisted.

'So do I!' Jareth roared.

Sarah took a step back and Jareth instantly regretted his harsh words. She drew away from him.

'Sarah,' he said pleadingly.

Sarah continued to back away.

'Sarah, don't be like this,' he said.

She shook her head.

Jareth stepped forward. 'Sarah, don't do this. Come back with me,' he offered her his hand. 'You can see your friends anytime you wish.'

'Hey, Sarah! I saw Karen at the store and she said that you were alone so I thought…'

Sarah looked around Jareth. Angus was standing in the doorframe watching the Goblin King advance on his retreating girlfriend. Angus's dark eyes also noted the fact that Sarah was in nothing but a nightdress and that Jareth was forcing her towards the bed.

Sarah pushed past the startled Jareth and flew into the sanctuary of Angus's arms.

Angus really didn't know what to make of the guy he had found in his girlfriend's bedroom in garb so outlandish that he ought to have been in a Broadway musical, so he just held on to Sarah as though she would break at any moment.

Jareth's brow creased in defeat. 'Fine, you have chosen him, and turned me down a second time. I will not ask again, but I bear no grudge against you. And remember: if you should ever change your mind,' here, he pointed to the crystal sticking out of Lancelot's back, 'all you need to do is call.'

He vanished in a puff of glitter.

Sarah buried her head in her hands while Angus stared at the spot where the Goblin King had stood, too astonished to speak.

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	6. NoOne

Hey people! Only one chapter this time- Save the best till last, that's what I always say. And for those lovely misguided people who like Angus- well, read on…

I hope you guys appreciate this chapter. It went from not even half a page to 1609 words. And you know I wouldn't do anything like that for anyone but you guys.

Moonjava- Thankyou for reviewing- you give me the strength to continue my stories.

Ophelia Eternal- Short chapters coz it's a short story, but that's why I put up (usually) two chapters at a time.

Solea- Yes, I quite agree. I feel horrible about what I mutated Angus to become, wait! Forget I said that!

JediAshes1021- Wouldn't we all. But, who knows? Well, I do…

ItsACrystalNothingMore- You know it, I know it, geez everyone who knows Jareth knows it. I like the name Angus too.

Mord-Sith Rahl- What an interesting name… And I agree completely with you- Sarah is a terrible cow and should be shot dead- after Jareth gets over her, though.

Chapter Six

No-One

LLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Not long after Jareth's visit, Karen kicked Sarah out. Toby was devastated even though he was only three and a half. Sarah moved into an apartment with Angus, who, always the perfect gentleman, had let her set the pace of their relationship. They never get past second base.

Sarah turned eighteen and got a job as a waitress while going to university. Her father paid her tuition gladly- it had not been his decision to throw her out; Karen had surprised even him with that twist.

But Sarah was happy…mostly. She kept a certain crystal near her at all times. She had taken it out of Lancelot, stitched up the bear and given it back to Toby. Toby hadn't noticed that his plaything was different somehow.

Now Sarah kept the crystal on a stand on her bedside table.

Sometimes when she felt lonely, she would call her friends, who were always there to talk, but always seemed to want to talk about a certain male someone who 'missed' her. Sarah wasn't sure wether to believe them, believe that the Goblin King actually had feelings- that he really wanted to talk to her.

She would say goodbye to her friends in a dazed voice and sit on her bed, staring at the crystal he had given her. She would sit for hours, just thinking about calling him, just to talk to him. But she would always just shake her head and go to bed.

Hoggle of late had begun to look worried. He wouldn't say what was troubling him, only that he didn't want to bother her. Sarah began to think that something big was happening- something bad.

Angus never troubled her when he heard voices coming from Sarah's room; he just thought that she had the radio on, or something. He had never asked her about the strange dude he had found in her room that once- he hadn't wanted to pressure her into telling him. But his patience was waning.

He had begun to get very Goth-like lately: drinking, smoking, having weeks off from his job. Sarah didn't like this new Angus; she much preferred the old one (didn't we all- I'm sorry I had to do this to a character, but I had to screw him up).

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Jareth sat on his kingly throne staring into a crystal. The crystal showed his place in the universe- his Labyrinth. His dying Labyrinth.

The Labyrinth reflected its king's feelings: when Jareth was happy- it was green and plentiful and the inhabitants were joyous.

When Jareth was depressed… Well, the Labyrinth (being an entity unto itself with a consciousness of its own) couldn't cope with that sort of negativity and slowly it began to die- just like the king himself was dying inside. The land was becoming barren, the hedge maze was browning and collapsing, the very walls of the Labyrinth were crumbling and the inhabitants had no idea why it was happening.

But Jareth knew why. And he hated himself for bringing this down upon his subjects - which just made the situation worse.

He already felt terrible- a feeling that originated when Sarah Williams defeated his Labyrinth and destroyed him utterly. A feeling that had intensified over the years and climaxed when he had seen the look of fear on her face when he had spoken to her.

He tried to convince himself that she hadn't known what he was offering her: his heart on a silver platter. But it didn't work. He argued with himself that _if _she had not known what he was offering why did she throw it back in his face? Why, when he had already explained to her his intentions, did she hide her face and back away from him?

A knock on the great doors of the throne room yanked the king from his reverie.

'Enter,' Jareth said hopelessly.

The dwarf Hoggle entered the room, rocking on the balls of his feet.

Jareth suddenly sat up straight, popping the crystal ball n his hand like a soap bubble. 'What is it? Have you heard from her?' he asked anxiously, eager for news of Sarah. Jareth did not hide his feelings for the girl when it was obvious to all involved (except perhaps the girl herself) that it was because of her that his realm was suffering.

Hoggle cleared his throat, as nervous as he usually was around his king. 'Er, yes. A day or two ago, your Majesty.'

'Well?'

Hoggle sighed. 'Well, she's fine in her new… er- apartment- I think she called it. And she still keeps in contact with 'er father and Toby-'

'Yes, yes, but what about _me_?' Jareth interrupted.

Hoggle took a deep breath. 'She knows tha' I know somethin' about you and she knows tha' there's somethin' wrong- with somethin'.'

'And?' Jareth pressed.

'Well, she doesn't really know…Sarah kind of thinks that…' Hoggle tried to find a good way to put this- a less painful way, at least. 'Sarah hates you.' There, he said it.

Jareth went pale- well, paler than usual. He groaned and held his head in his hands.

Hoggle really didn't know what to do. He was sure his liege wouldn't like him privy to his moment of weakness. Hoggle quietly edged toward the door- and tripped over the pit in the middle of the room, falling over with an extremely loud **crash**!

Jareth looked up, for once without his domineering sneer, and beckoned Hoggle over to his previous position. 'You mean there's nothing you can do?' he asked piteously.

'Well, the only thing I can think of to change her mind about you would be to go to her- but then you would end up with a catastrophe like last time. You know I warned ya' agains' visiting her just after she found th' crystal, but ya' jus' didn' listen.' Hoggle put his hands on his hips (or, where his hips would be if he had any- I never noticed them, did you?).

Jareth looked at the little man and exhaled heavily, listening to his banter.

'And I know that the whole 'mind-trip' whispers-and-stuff in 'er head thing was just so she'd find the crystal and not forget about us, but you could have laid off her a bit so that you didn' scare her out o' her wits.'

'I know what I did and didn't do, Hog-What. I also know that I scared her badly last time. I don't intend on doing it again.' Jareth sighed.

Hoggle took this as his cue to leave- and leave he did.

Jareth put his head in his hands.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sarah was staring at her crystal one night, just thinking about what her friends had said, when Angus came into her room in one of his unbalanced drunken stupors.

'What're you doing?' he drawled stupidly when he saw her gazing at the crystal.

Sarah didn't look up. 'Nothing,' she said simply.

'Don't look like nothing to me. Looks like your thinking about that guy.'

Sarah glanced up at him in surprise. 'What guy?'

'You know what guy. The guy that was in your room that one time at your father's place. You know; blonde hair, wacky eyebrows and tights?' said Angus highly articulately for one as wasted as himself. 'Come to think of it-'

_Think, right_, scoffed Sarah silently.

'- who was that guy?'

'He was no-one,' lied Sarah quickly.

'What was he doing in your room, then?'

'I truthfully have no idea. I think he must've broken in or something. I can't really remember,' said Sarah, not liking the glint in Angus's eye.

'You're lying.'

'What?' said Sarah, beginning to panic now as he approached her. She got off the bed and took a step toward him so he wouldn't get any ideas about how to use that particular item of furniture. 'No, seriously I don't know why he was there.'

'Then who was he?' said Angus, his voice getting louder and louder.

'No-one,' said Sarah, knowing that he would soon tire of this roundabout conversation and that she didn't want to be around when he did.

Too late.

'Tell me! Or else!' Angus raised his hand threateningly.

Sarah, knowing that she was screwed already, said firmly 'There is nothing to tell.'

Angus struck her hard across the face (Sorry Angus fans, but this is what he was created for). 'Tell me!' he roared.

Sarah felt blood dribble out of her nose and shook her head. 'There's nothing to tell,' she said again.

Angus hit her across the face again, harder this time. Sarah fell to the floor, but that didn't stop her drunken roommate. He hoisted her up by her collar only to shove her against the wall and punch her several times in the stomach and face. Angus then lifted her up and threw her bodily across the room.

Sarah landed with a **thud** in the corner closest to her bed. She didn't move and her eyes were closed.

Angus grunted in a cave-man fashion and looked at his bruised knuckles. He went over to Sarah and kicked her as she lay crumpled on the floor, then left the apartment to get some more beer.

Sarah stirred and groaned when she heard the apartment door slam closed. She propped herself up against the wall in a sitting and spat a gob of blood out of her mouth. She was finding it difficult to breathe and was panting heavily.

She edged slowly over to her bedside table, feeling unconsciousness tug at her. Sarah looked at her crystal, her green eyes out of focus. 'Jareth,' she whispered and her head dropped onto her chest.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o


	7. Say Them

Hi everyone. Thanks for all of my responses (eg. Angus the dork, boyfriend from hell ect…). Well, no use beating around the bush (kind of like my backyard), on to whatever comes next!

MyDeath- It's kind of hard to write erhem 'NOW NOW' when, where I am, it's three o'clock in the morning. You know, I love how you love this fic. Strangely- I HATE this one. It's my worst work (I wrote it coz my best friend was cranky coz I hadn't written any J/S stories. Sigh, SARAH SHOULD DIE! Sadly- not in my fics).

jumping-jo- I like my Jareth too. Some people (not naming names) make him way sappy.

Solea- I hope that the type-o (you wrote TABFFH) was meant to be TABFH. Yeah, I know it was a common device. Jareth gets so tired of coming to Sarah's rescue because the only reason he's calling her is so he can save her. He says he wants, just once, for her to call him and have nothing in it for her. Sigh

ItsACrystalNothingMore- I think everyone knew that Angus would do something- that's what he was created for- to be as arse and …stuff

Moonjava- The norm- thanks

Kitsune Karasu- Thankyou- I love the smiley face.

BOWIEgirl- Buddies? This from the girl who is jealous of my goblins? OK, I'm just joshing you- you are my friend- as long as you get a wriggle on on your own story! And I hope you realise that you are using the OVERUSED LINE! 'It's not fair' shudders Sarah's stupid friggin' line. And, no offence, but what does j/k mean?

Mord-Sith Rahl- Yes, I have always liked the name Angus- so I just HAD to torture him into a druggie (he is on drugs- but Sarah doesn't know it) I hate Mr. Perfects, especially when they make Jareth Mr Perfect.

HE IS THE FREAKING GOBLIN KING! HE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE PERFECT! HE IS MESSED UP! AND HE NEEDS PEOPLE SKILLS!

And, yes, you did giggle. Why did you giggle?

RoschLupin-Black- I'm not sure about the 'kicking his arse' bit- but I'll see what I can do. And, yes- Angus was created to be a dickhead

spider girl5- Thankyou for your support (I need it with a crazy mob like this. KIDDING!).

Chapter Seven

Say Them

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Jareth stared out the throne room window, not really focusing on anything in particular, not his crumbling Labyrinth walls, not his leaking Bog of Eternal Stench, not his collapsing oubliettes- nothing.

He exhaled heavily and turned from the window to go to his chambers. He stepped around the pit in the middle of the room (clean for once as the goblins didn't want to be around him when he was upset, and besides they were too busy comforting their confused families) and made for the door when he heard, clear as a bell, a sweet voice whisper his name.

'_Jareth_'

Jareth's head snapped up and his eyes darted around the room anxiously, waiting, praying, hoping for the voice to come again.

When it didn't, Jareth bit his lip.

_It's not a summons_, he thought uneasily. _But Sarah needs me. _

Without pausing a second longer he transported himself Aboveground.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Jareth appeared in Sarah's bedroom, having honed in on it from her connection. He looked around for her at his eye-level, not sure what to expect. He saw his crystal on her table, then, with aching slowness, his eyes travelled from the little ball to Sarah's dishevelled body.

'Sarah!' he exclaimed and he threw himself down beside her checking her pulse and patting down her hair. After finding her relatively strong heartbeat, Jareth held her head against his chest protectively.

'Sarah, wake up,' he murmured to her. 'Please wake up.' No response.

_How could anyone ever do this to her?_ thought Jareth angrily. He touched her bruised face tenderly, then stood up, leaning Sarah against the wall.

Jareth's gaze lingered on the opposite wall where there was a spattering of blood. He sincerely hoped that it wasn't Sarah's.

Jareth looked around the apartment for any sign of what had happened to Sarah. He found none.

With no other option, Jareth summoned a crystal and set it to play out the events that happened before Sarah had called him, on mute of course, so that he wouldn't hear anything he wasn't supposed to. Sarah could tell him all about it in her own time.

Jareth sat down on Sarah's bed and played the crystal. His expression grew angrier and angrier the longer he watched until he finally blasted the crystal against the blood-spattered wall.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Sarah woke up with a splitting headache. She hurt all over and she found it difficult to breathe. Then she remembered.

_Angus! How could he?_ she thought miserably.

'So much for the man who loves you,' said a familiar voice.

Sarah opened her eyes and flinched. Her right eye was puffy and deep purple in colour.

Someone was crouching in front of her. Sarah blinked a few times and focused on the person. She cowered slightly towards the wall behind her. It was Jareth.

'Come, come now. You called me, and it was definitely not I who beat you into a bloody pulp. Here,' Jareth held a damp white facecloth out to her.

Sarah didn't move. She was frightened and confused and on the verge of tears. I won't bite. Here!' Jareth brandished the damp cloth.

Sarah bit her lip and decided to trust him. She reached for the facecloth, only to jerk her hand back with a gasp of pain.

Jareth cocked his head. He dropped the cloth and took Sarah's wrist in his hands. He inspected it closely.

'Your wrist is broken. You must have used it to deflect a blow,' said Jareth. He mentally kicked himself as he said those words. _You're not supposed to say that! She's not supposed to know that I know! _He scolded himself.

Jareth picked up the cool cloth and wrapped it loosely around Sarah's wrist.

The relief was instantaneous. Sarah exhaled as the cloth cooled her burning wrist.

Jareth smiled, the only true smile he had worn for years. Not a lot had changed in his appearance since farewelling Sarah in her room: He wore the same clothes he always did (though he was thankfully not in huis black outfit today), same thin mouth, same hair. But his eyes were different. They seemed to be deeper, sunken in and hollow- showing his pain and the pain of his kingdom.

Though Sarah wasn't really in a position to notice this.

Jareth produced another cloth and began to sponge the congealed blood off Sarah's face, showing all of her little cuts from where the skin had torn. Sarah watched him do this in a kind of awed and shocked silence. No-one had ever touched her like that before.

Sarah flinched when Jareth touched the bruising around her eye.

'That must have hurt,' said Jareth softly.

Sarah nodded. 'Yeah,' she looked away from Jareth's gaze, ashamed slightly of what had happened to her. 'I can't believe he hit me…' she sniffled and began to cry.

Jareth looked at her cautiously. He had no idea what to do in this sort of situation; whether he should casually walk away and let Sarah have her moment, or (and this was his preferred choice) if he should throw his arm around her and hold her tenderly until her tears stopped, then sweep her up and whisk her away to his castle.

In the end, he did neither and offered her his clean handkerchief instead (no, it was not lacy).

Sarah took it without looking at him. 'Thanks,' she said in a choked voice.

Jareth took Sarah's wrist again. 'I'm going to set it. This may hurt; but it will feel better after a while.' He cracked the wrist and cringed at Sarah's scream.

Sarah's tears redoubled as Jareth plucked a bandage out of thin air and splint and bandaged her wrist. She looked at him carefully. 'Why are you helping me?'

Jareth looked up from his work. 'You called me.'

'Yes, but why are you helping _me_? I'm horrible; I wished my brother away to the goblins and then made out that you were the bad-guy.' Sarah sucked on her bottom lip. She caught Jareth's hand and he looked her straight in the eye in his surprise at her intimate movement.

'I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I said to you, you know, before… When I found the crystal.' Fat tears were rolling down her face and it was all Jareth could do not to wipe them off and kiss her worries away. He registered numbly that she was apologising for practically everything that she had ever said to him, but really didn't care: he didn't appreciate it as much as he imagined he would; it was causing Sarah too much pain for him to properly enjoy the moment.

But she still wasn't finished.

'And…and I'm sorry I chose Angus. I'm sorry I was scared of you before. You never hurt me,' Sarah hung her head looked into her lap, her hand tightly clasping Jareth's own.

Jareth sat down next to Sarah. He tucked a strand of her chestnut hair behind her hair. 'We all make mistakes,' said he. 'I don't have any grudges against you.' Jareth paused, teetering on edge of doing something that he might regret forever- dos and don'ts crowding his mind.

He reached over and put his arm around her, pulling her into his chest.

Sarah accepted the comfort willingly. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent: musk and lemongrass and… something else, something Sarah couldn't identify.

_Magic_, she decided.

Jareth freed his hand from her grasp and stroked her hair again.

He whispered so quietly that he thought for a moment that Sarah hadn't heard him, 'Come back with me.'

Sarah froze. She weighed up her choices. Angus would be back soon. He obviously didn't care about her, neither did her stepmother, who, in turn, had the control over her father who couldn't do anything without his evil wife's approval.

She took a deep breath and, just when Jareth was about to ask her again, she looked up at him. 'I…I…'

Jareth waited with bated breath.

'Will. I will go back with you, Goblin King…'

Jareth's brow creased somewhat at her using his title.

Sarah hesitated. 'Jareth.'

Jareth smiled and savoured the moment; the moment when Sarah said his name in front of him for the first time. He committed it all to memory.

Sarah smiled too and snuggled further into his embrace, much to Jareth intense delight.

_What could possibly make this better? _he thought. _Well, maybe if Sarah wasn't covered in bruises…_ 'Would you like to go now, or later?'

'Now, I think. Before Angus comes back.'

'Say them, then,' said Jareth in a low voice. 'Say the words.'

Sarah visibly hesitated.

Jareth saw her falter. 'Do you trust me?' he murmured.

Sarah nodded. 'Yes. I…I wish the Goblin King would take me away right now.'

Jareth smiled and reached over to the bedside table. He took down Sarah's crystal and offered it to her.

Sarah took the ball and Jareth transported them both in a flurry of silver dust motes to his home.

To the Underground.


	8. The Castle

ItsACrystalNothingMore- Thank's Tez. That means a lot coming from you.

BOWIEgirl- I knew that…

Moonjava- Wow! A spelling mistake from YOU! That makes you much less… intimidating. Thanks for the review. It means a lot that you've been here from the beginning.

Morrigana- I just love lemongrass, and I love Jareth, so I just put them together. And, no, that is not the end. I'm going to try and make Sarah scream- just so that we can enjoy it.

jumping-jo- Wow. You are such a J/S nut. It's kind of scary. You'd better not read my other stories if you like Sarah…

RochLupin-Black- Snogging? What the hell? In something an Australian can understand, please. I hate the pining thing, too.

Satta- Oh, you're welcome. I like letting people know how much fun I get from reading their stories. In the second chapter, um, Karen was actually a real bitch. I mean, if it's so important for Sarah to leave school because she's sick then Karen has no right to ask questions. I know my whole Angus thing is really un-subtle, but it's what he was created for. Thanks for the comment about the conversations- I guess I have so few of my own that I spend most of my time imagining them… I'm a real loner.

Chapter Eight

The Castle

LLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Sarah looked around. 'This isn't your room, is it?'

Jareth chuckled. 'No. It's a spare bedroom. There are some clothes for you in the wardrobe.' He hated being so formal with his Sarah, so uncaring, so cold. But this was how it had to be…for now.

Sarah looked around. 'OK. Thanks.'

'The bathroom is through that door,' Jareth pointed to a gilded door with carvings of fairies and unicorns. 'I will not lock your door, but I do not want you wandering around the castle. This is for your safety.' He couldn't help himself; he touched a strand of her hair. Then he started towards the door, only to turn back to Sarah. 'Do I really have a morality problem?'

Sarah laughed uncertainly. 'No… I didn't know you heard all that…' She fidgeted a little, wondering if she would be the butt of an especially heinous punishment; such as the Bog of Eternal Stench or maybe she would be relocated to an oubliette.

But Jareth just smiled. 'I did. Goodnight.' And that was all.

He left the room via the door, not wishing to alarm Sarah by disappearing in front of her, leaving her to ponder the direction her life had taken of late.

0

Jareth closed the door behind him and set off down the corridor. He was almost ashamed of himself, as he had very nearly transported Sarah into his own bedchambers.

Oh, he wouldn't _force_ her into anything she didn't want to do, he knew that would break her spirit…and he loved that spirit.

He had put Sarah in a spare room in the same wing of his castle as his own chambers so that he could be as close to her as possible.

The room was a guest room for any members of royalty that stayed for visits in the Goblin Castle. The room had not been used in over 300 years (come on, let's face it, no-one really wants to visit a place chok-a-blok with goblins, do they? O.K., maybe me…).

_She needs time to heal and to come to grips with the fact that she has left everything behind…_Jareth said to himself. _Well, maybe I **could** let her Aboveground to see her brother every once in a while… I don't want to seem like the villain…not again…_

_And, besides, _thought Jareth, trying to take his mind off the last time Sarah had been in his castle, _she needs to get over her fear-, no, suspicion of me; her trust in me is almost non-existent. She probably won't even let me touch her again. Sarah needs time._

Jareth grinned devilishly. _But time I have._

He swished his cloak, and at once was gone.

0oo0o0o0oo0o0

'And that's the end.'

Lady screams in fear and wraps her arms around her head as she hears the angered shouts of her readers echoing across the globe. She hides under her computer desk

Readers from across the globe (mainly, as I have noticed, America) grab their burning torches and their sharp-pronged pitchforks. They rally at the airports and threaten the air-…air-…(oh, bugger I dunno what they're called) air-people and get on planes with their burning torches and their pitchforks flying toward the Lady of the Labyrinth.

'WAIT'

Angry mob stops just a metre away from her.

Lady peeps one eye out from under her arms, blinks and takes her arms away from her face

'Um… That's where the story originally ended…pauses to see the mob's reaction

One of the mob (Morrigana or Solea or someone- it's hard to tell in the torchlight) prods Lady in the arm with a pitchfork. 'Get on with it.'

'Um…Yes. B-but then I saw how popular my story was and so I decided to continue the story…'

Mob mutters and lowers pitchforks (and spades; I guess some people don't have pitchforks). Someone from the back shouts 'How do we know you're telling the truth?' The mob growls as one and surges forward in a sinister fashion.

Lady puts her arms back around her head

'Um… um… MY NOTES! Yeah, yeah, uh…I'll show you my notes. I always write my stories out on paper first, so if anything happens to the computer I've still got a draft…' Lady realises that she is babbling and stops talking.

Mob mutters amongst itself again. 'Show us,' shouts someone standing in the doorway of Lady's house.

Lady uncovers her face again

'Uh, could you guys give me a sec?'

Lady scrambles around under her computer desk, muttering almost indiscernible things under her breath

'No, not that…Ewww, what is that?… My lollipop! I've been wondering where that went… Er, what's MORTICIA!'

Lady shoves a very large purebred American Pitbull Terrier out from under the desk

'There, make friends,' instructs Lady carelessly.

Morticia whimpers.

Lady extracted herself from beneath her desk, waving a very thick stack of papers in the air and sucking on a lollipop

'Here we are,' says Lady. 'My handwritten manuscripts. Uh, but you can't read them.'

The mob, having edged closer at the sight f the new chapters, steps back a little. 'Why not?' asks someone at the front.

'Um, because there still are major faults in it…'

Seeing how the mob isn't very impressed, she begins to back away. The dog, Morticia, follows, as does the mob

'You know, Lady, I do wonder if you really do mean to use Sarah against me.'

Lady looks around

Jareth is hung lazily on the couch.

'Um, hi, Jareth, says Lady uncomfortably.

Jareth disappears from the couch and appears in front of Lady, backing her up against the wall. 'It seems that the answer to that could be in those wonderful notes that you are holding in your hands.'

'Um…Possibly,' says Lady.

Jareth looks around. 'Oh, I didn't realise that you had guests… of the 'burning torch' variety.'

'Yeah… I think they might be around for a while…'

'So, why don't you just let me have a little look at your notes, just to check if everything is in order,' Jareth purrs against the hollow of her throat.

'Um, no.'

Lady tries to pull away, but when Jareth tugs her right back into position, she, seemingly, gives up

'And why not?' he says, lightly tonguing her neck whilst the mob looks on in awe.

Several whispers were thrown around amongst the mob: _She's_ with the Goblin King? No way! He's mine! She doesn't look too happy about him…I'd be happy, though _and_ What's so special about those notes, anyway?

Meanwhile, Lady looks as if she's becoming totally engrossed in Jareth's attentions. She seems intoxicated, somehow.

'I can't show you…my notes…Because if I did… I would have…WAIT!' Lady appears to reclaim herself.

Jareth pauses in his soft seductive advances, the mob stops whispering, too. Jareth, just in time, stops Lady from kneeing him extremely forcefully in the crutch.

He chuckles and whispers in her ear: 'I wouldn't do that if I were you.'

Lady looks at him disgustedly. 'Wanna bet? GABRIEL!'

A fey man, presumably Gabriel, appears in Lady's living room in a puff of wind.

Jareth, still keeping a firm hold of Lady, turns to Gabriel. 'Hello, brother.'

'What are you doing, _brother_?' says Gabriel, contempt obvious in his voice as he surveyed the scene before him.

'I'm just trying to get a little…co-operation…'

'As if!' shrieks Lady. 'You're trying to figure out whether or not I'll get Sarah to castrate you! And you know that if you find out when or how or what happens I'll lose my power over you! And the _big, mighty Goblin King _wouldn't want that!'

Jareth looks at her closely. 'Don't mock me, my dear. What happened to the lovely little conversations and staring contests we used to have?'

Gabriel looks like he's just about to pop Jareth one in the nose and takes a step forward.

'Well, for one, you weren't trying to seduce me-'

Gabriel looks like he's just about ready to rip Jareth apart.

'- and for another you were doing the things I wanted you to do (within reason) without my needing to threaten you.'

Lady lets out a strangled moan as Jareth presses her even harder to the wall

'Gabriel- help, please?' she whimpers, clearly frightened.

Gabriel rips his brother off Lady, sending him sprawling on to the floor and grabs Lady, the manuscripts and the dog (who had bounded up to him instantly after his arrival and was trying to get him to pat her).

'Of course,' he says gently and he and Lady disappear, with the dog and the papers.

Jareth gets up scowling and dusts off his clothes. '…stupid interfering troll…' he mutters. Then Jareth looks up at the mob. The mob looks at Jareth. 'I guess I have a lot of explaining to do…'

BOWIEgirl steps forward. 'Hey Jareth, can you run fast?

'…not particularly…why?'

'GET HIM!'


	9. Sarah's Chambers

O.k. Hi guys. I've just got back from my holiday to Gabriel's kingdom; the Black Marble Mountains (Gabriel, as you all must have realised, is Jareth's brother of whom he speaks so little and I discovered him whilst researching another one of my stories). It's really pretty up there. Lots of ice.

Anyway, about Gabriel. Well, he's a super hot bo-hunk and is like Jareth's exact opposite in almost every way (except for the hotness, they are both hot): Gabriel has shoulder length, perfectly cut, black hair, a very strange combination of green/red eyes (they are very disturbing to look at if you aren't, like me, used to them) and NORMAL eyebrows (not that Jareth's eyebrows aren't totally cool, or anything).

And you can kind of tell that there isn't any love lost between the two of them…

Anyway, Gabriel took us (that is to say, the dog, the manuscripts and me) to his beautiful kingdom (being the brother of the Goblin King does have some perks- a lovely kingdom and stuff…If only they wouldn't try and tear each other apart whenever they see each other… I remember at their grandmother's funeral…) and we had fun (no, not that kind of fun; he took me dragon riding). And I wrote some more story.

And don't worry about Jareth: he's perfectly fine. Gabriel worked everything out with him, and he apologised to me and said that if I wanted to castrate him, then that was my decision. Jareth gets so understanding when Gabriel is holding a knife to his back.

Now, before I begin, this is what I have to say:

To the mob- Don't chase me again! It is not cool to have to run from reviewers.

To Jareth- HA! You got your just deserts with the mob! He he and you still don't know if I'll use Sarah against you- well, better yet, I might castrate you myself…

JOKING!

And- special- Treasures-of-Tuatha-de-Dannan- (long name). Well, you kind of have a few type-o's on you own review: I think you meant that the Goblin King wouldn't let Hoggle speak to HIM in that way (it took me ages to work out what you meant) and which words did I spell incorrectly (just so I know what to work on)? Don't say 'colour', whatever you do. Well, I guess Jareth is feeling hopeless (wouldn't we all, in that situation? Not the Sarah part of the situation, but the 'unrequited love' bit) and he really wants to keep Hogle on his side, so Jareth would have to put up with it. But at least Hoggle knows when to stop. Angel of Space didn't tell you who I was, did she? And which one of you hid her shoes so she had to go to school in her boots last Wednesday?

Mord-Sith Rahl- Yes, you did say that out loud, dear.

atsuibelulah- It's not over yet- not nearly.

Eleanora Rose- Well, you do have a sissy Jareth. Thanks for the compliment.

lilpyro900- Hi Bob. Nice to meet you.

Solea- Um, I know this review wasn't for my story (the small link) but you are SOOO not alone in thinking about lemonade…mmm- 'lemonade' And I'm very sorry you feel that way- (about the thing at the end of last chapter). I have changed it for you so I don't hurt anybody's feelings- that's the last thing I want to do… I suck- don't I?

Chapter Nine

Sarah's Chambers

LLLLLLLLLLL

Sarah looked around the room again. She sat down on the huge bed, put her crystal on her pillow and looked sadly at her bandaged wrist.

She tried not of what Angus had done to her, but the thoughts forced themselves up the front to her attention.

Sarah shook her head violently to dispel the images and stood up, walking over to a gilded door near the bed.

Upon opening it, Sarah's face broke into a huge smile.

It was a massive walk-in wardrobe. So Sarah walked in.

Inside, an entire wall was devoted to shoes- each pair in their own little box (there were shoes of every type, colour and style), another wall made up of bags (handbags, knapsacks, clutches ect.), then the rest of the space was home to an enormous variety of clothes. Dresses of every kind, hats, hairpieces, shirts, skirts, pants and every other type of clothing imaginable, including underwear.

Sarah ran her hands over the silken fabric of a beautiful blue gown. A single silver tear fell gracefully down onto the exquisite dress.

Sarah hadn't realised that she was crying. She touched her wet cheek and realised that they were tears of happiness. She was happier than she had been in a long, long time; ever since Karen thew her out after a stupid misunderstanding ('You were supposed to be home three hours ago!' – 'But you said I didn't have to be home till six!'). Sarah didn't know why she was so happy; she guessed it was because she was in the Underground, away from the people who didn't believe in magic. And maybe she was happy because if, hopefully, Jareth let her, she might be able to see her friends again- Hoggle and Ludo and Sir Didymus…

She fished a nightgown and clean undergarments out from the wardrobe and went to investigate the bathroom.

Sarah opened the gilded door and her jaw dropped.

Everything was white and silver: the enormous bathtub, the generous shower block, the cupboards, the sinks, the vanity mirrors, the toilet- everything was white with silver details.

There were elaborate carvings set throughout the massive room; mermaids and seahorses (ones that actually resembled horses, having forelegs and manes) dances and swam around the edges of the bathtub looking as though they would pop out of the stone and start to move while wood nymphs, fairies (nice, Aboveground looking ones wearing gorgeous gowns) and unicorns graced the many vanities and sinks. A lovely dryad sculpture watched over all, a beautiful thing of marble in pride of place to the side of the gilded door. She looked serene and faultless as though someone had encased a real dryad in solid white marble.

Sarah lightly put her nightgown and underclothes on the nearest vanity. She fought the urge to look in the mirror, not trusting herself not to burst into tears at the sight of her injuries.

She went over to one of the cupboards, finding a stack of fluffy white towels. Taking one, Sarah started to investigate the other cupboards- or, at least a few of them as there looked to be over twenty and she wanted to go to sleep sometime tonight.

_Well, something to explore tomorrow_, thought Sarah with a shadow of a smile.

One cupboard held a variety of soaps, cleansers, shampoos, conditioners and lots more, so Sarah picked a few out and put them and her towel near the bath.

Another cupboards contained sanitary products- toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, hairspray, hair gel and a few other things. Sarah took a hairbrush and a toothbrush and toothpaste and set them near the sink.

Sarah grinned. _Thought of everything, hasn't he?'_ she thought appreciatively.

She stepped over to the bath and looked at each of the four taps. One of the silver faucets had a light blue topaz stone, the next had a rose quartz stone set in, the third had a sapphire and the last a ruby.

Sarah went over to the ruby tap and turned it on. Hot water gushed out. She tried the sapphire tap. Cold water joined the hot in the tub. Next, Sarah turned on the rose quartz tap. Sweet smelling bath oil mixed with warm water came out.

She stuck her hand under the flow and smelt it. 'Mmmm. Strawberry-rose oil. How did he know it's my favourite?' murmured Sarah to herself.

She tried the last tap- the topaz one. Out of the faucet burst a flow of bright blue bubble bath and warm water.

'Oooh!' giggled Sarah.

She waited for the bath to fill and then turned off all for taps. She took off her ripped and dirty clothes and put them in a silver hamper that seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Sarah stopped halfway before getting in the bath. She, instead of sinking into its exquisitely warm depths, turned and looked herself straight in the eye in one of the vanity mirrors.

Sarah gasped in horror at the state of her face and walked closer to the mirror. She touched her black eye gingerly and ran her tongue over her split lip. They were many more cuts on her face where she had scraped it on her way to the ground and when the skin had become so swollen from its constant battering it had actually torn of its own accord.

Her right arm, the one Jareth had bandaged, sported several large bruises from the elbow up in the imprint of Angus's fingers, as did her left arm.

Sarah still had difficulty breathing, possibly because of several large bruises on her chest.

Her legs hadn't sustained much damage from Angus, but she had landed heavily on her calves when he had thrown her across the room. There were several nasty looking, almost black bruises from her knees down.

Sarah tried to run her fingers through a bit of particularly knotted hair, but as soon as she touched her scalp she jerked her hand back with a sharp inhale of pain.

She gently separated her hair and discovered a long gash at the side of her head that was still bleeding a little. The blood was matting all her hair together.

Sarah turned away from the mirror and stepped purposefully into the bathtub, sitting on a raised platform in the centre of the bath so that the water only reached her neck.

She played with the bubbles and laughed softly, feeling them pop gently under her fingers. She slid off the platform and treaded water for a bit as the bath was long and deep enough to swim in.

Sarah washed the blood off her face and out of her hair and then got out of the cooling water. She tugged at the plug chain and watched as the water drained noisily out of the tub.

She towelled off and put on her nightgown and went to the nearest vanity to clean her teeth. Amazingly, the toothpaste made her teeth almost three shades whiter after just that one brushing.

'Wow,' said Sarah softly, 'now I know how Jareth keeps his teeth so white. It's easy!'

Sarah went into the bedroom after hanging her towel on the towel rack.

She looked around at the hundreds of candles that lighted the room. It would take her an hour to blow the all out.

_Hmmm_, she thought, _it would be so much easier to blow them all out at once_…

Sarah sat down on the bed, placing her crystal on her bedside table. She considered the candles again.

_What if I…_ she thought. 'When I clap my hands, all of the candles go out,' she instructed. The candles flickered slightly.

Sarah clapped her hands twice, and all of the candles went out- snuffed out as surely as if she had gone around and poured water on each and every one.

'Wow. Interactive lights,' Sarah mused as she got into the bed, snuggling deep within the covers. She closed her eyes and let the cool darkness embrace her, the sweet-smelling oils from her bath gently lulling her to sleep.

LLL

Sorry about the lateness- I was disconnected from my internet (yes, I meant what said.). Bloody Mum


	10. Jareth's Personal Healer

BOWIEgirl- I'm not lying! Here it is! Hey, how do you know where I am? Have you been talking to Angel of Space? WHO HAVE YOU BEEN TALKING TO?

Mord-Sith Raal- I'm not sure flips through notes that we have the availability to put in a 'seduction by Jareth' for you… looks over at Jareth who is playing with his crystals while sprawled lazily on my lounge suite What do you think?

Jareth Is she pretty?

Lady I don't know.

Jareth Well, I might have time next Tuesday… Maybe.

Lady Good news!

RoschLupin-Black- Yeah. hits Gabriel (who is watching the television) hard over the head with her notes And it's all your fault! Mum thought I was spending too much time with you so she took away my internet privileges!

Gabriel (looks at Lady with his beautiful puppy-dog eyes) What'd I do?

Moonjava- As always- thankyou.

atsuibelulahu- How do you pronounce that? Thankyou for being so understanding (maybe you should lay off the caffeine- once you thought the story had ended, everyone thought it was. It was strange) yeah- this story is gonna have sort of 'Beauty and the Beast' tendencies… I will reveal no more!

ItsACrystalNothingMore- Whoa, maybe tone it down a little. I'm updating! I'm updating!

Solea- Oh, okay. I'll change it back…I kind of had the 'clapper' in mind for that chapter…

Eleanora Rose- Yeah, I liked that line too. I'm known for my tasteful (and not so tasteful) jokes.

Morrigana- I'm so glad you're happy. My friend Angel of Space thought the thing at the end of last chapter was scary- but I needed something to fill out the chapter- and it sort of gives you a bit of background as to how schitzo I can really be.

jumping-jo- I guess he has… but the room has always been extravagant- being for royalty and all.

Another for Mord-Sith Raal- Oooh, special. You get two.ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT I ACTUALLY _LIKE_ SARAH? YOU ARE SO DILUSIONED! But I will talk more about Jareth- he's going to blow a gasket soon…

WildPixieChild16- Cool. You're a new face- or name, whatever- this means that new people are reading! Or old people are reviewing… it's still cool! 

Satta- Why should you be unhappy? What did I steal? Bathing? Are you talking about this story or my other one- that one has bathing, not yet… I prefer to be by myself, despite what my psychiatrist thinks… And you are kind of as bad as Jareth-

Jareth (looks up at Lady) Who said what now?

Lady (throws a cusion at him) Oh, shut up.

except that you haven't said that you can be cruel- not that Jareth can be…

Jareth Hey!

Lady I thought I told you to shut up!

Chapter Ten

Jareth's Personal Healer

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Sarah woke to the sound of knocking on her door.

'Wha-at,' she groaned brokenly as she slowly left the comfort of her warm, huge bed and swung her feet down to the carpeted floor.

'Sarah? It's Jareth. Can I come in?' came Jareth's muffled voice from the other side of the door.

Sarah almost said yes, in her drowsy state of half wakefulness, but then she realised that she was in a nightgown and that her hair probably looked a mess. 'Ye-no. Sorry- can you wait a bit?'

'Alright. Aren't you decent?' chuckled Jareth.

'Um…' said Sarah, wondering what to say here. 'Well, wouldn't you like to know?' she said with her head half out of a gown from her wardrobe, a pink one. She put on some matching shoes and practically ran into the bathroom, ignoring the throbbing pains in her chest. She quickly brushed her hair, cleaned her teeth and washed her face. She ran out again so fast that she skidded the last few metres and then fell and hit the door (with her head) with a dull **thud**.

'Sarah?' asked Jareth anxiously. He knocked forcefully on the door. 'Sarah, are you alright? Sarah!'

Sarah got up, flicked back her hair and rubbed her head. She opened the door just as Jareth was about to beat on it again. 'Um, I'm okay. I'm okay.'

Jareth looked at her with barely concealed worry. 'May I come in?'

'Er, yes.'

Jareth smiled. 'Well, I see you've found your wardrobe.'

Sarah looked back at him, reading the sarcasm but deciding to take no notice of it. 'Yes, I did. Thankyou, for that, by the way.'

Jareth raised his eyebrows. He hadn't expected his Sarah to have changed so much; a year or two ago she would have rounded on him and yelled so much he would have been deaf for a week. This Sarah… well, you could tell that years of living in what mortals call 'the real world' had taken it's toll on her. She was more cautious, more polite. _But still the girl who ran my Labyrinth_, thought Jareth approvingly.

He, instead of replying with a snide remark dripping in sarcasm, simply nodded his head. He watched dumbly as Sarah rushed around, tidying her bed, picking up her discarded nightgown. Jareth didn't move from the doorway. 'Listen, Sarah; I want to let my personal healer look at you, if you will allow it.'

Sarah paused and looked at him.

Jareth invisibly braced himself for the fight that was sure to come.

'Okay, sure… I guess.'

Jareth breathed a silent sigh of relief and stuck his head out into the doorway, beckoning to a fey woman. She was short and wrinkled and looked almost unbelievably old, though she had bright red hair tied in a disastrous bun at the base of her neck. Strands of hair floated around her pleasant face with every flow of wind.

'Sarah, this is Gwyn, my healer,' said Jareth.

'Good morning, my dear,' said Gwyn.

'Hi,' said Sarah.

Jareth turned to Gwyn. 'Would you like me to stay?'

'No, Jareth, we'll be just fine,' assured Gwyn.

Jareth nodded to her, then to Sarah and left, closing the door behind him.

'So, dear,' said Gwyn, 'would you please sit n the bed and tell me about your injuries.'

Sarah sat down and fingered her bandaged wrist. 'Um, well, Jareth said I have a broken wrist, but he splint it and bandaged it, so that should be okay.'

Gwyn nodded and motioned for Sarah to continue.

'Um, I have bruises on my legs and on my face and on my arms…' said Sarah, trailing off dismally. She was a little embarrassed about talking about all her injuries, thinking that they symbolised her weakness. _He shouldn't have been able to beat me so badly_, thought Sarah angrily. _I should have protected myself better…_

Gwyn just nodded again. 'May I see the bruises on your arms?'

Sarah carefully rolled up her sleeves, revealing the long bruises that Angus's fingers had left.

Gwyn trailed her tapered fingers gently over them. 'Alright, I can give you a cream for those. And the bruises on your legs?'

Sarah rolled down her sleeves and pulled up her skirt to knee height, showing the blue-back marks on her calves.

Gwyn simply nodded again. 'And anything else?'

Sarah let down her skirt. 'Uh, well, I do have scratches on my face, but they'll heal by themselves. And I have bruises on my chest, and it's really hard to breathe.'

Gwyn looked at Sarah as though she was studying her. 'May I see?"

'Er, I guess so.' Sarah had the intense feeling that she was safe with this woman, so she hesitantly unbuttoned her dress, showing her pale chest and her tan bra, and the mottled bruises that now adorned the soft flesh.

Gwyn ran her skilled fingers over the bruises. She sat down on the bed next to Sarah after a while. 'Three of your ribs are cracked. That's why you find it hard to breathe.'

Sarah gasped painfully in shock.

'Don't worry; you'll be fine. I'll give you some medicine to dull the pain and your ribs will heal by themselves.'

Sarah nodded dumbly and re-buttoned her dress. 'There is one more thing… At the side of my head, under my hair, there's a big cut- a gash. It was bleeding pretty hard.'

Gwyn nodded and, not asking for permission this time, went over to Sarah and quickly located the wound. She clicked her tongue disapprovingly. 'You will need stitches.'

Sarah yelped and jumped off the bed, backing away from the healer. 'Stiches? I thought you guys didn't need to use stitches!' she said hysterically.

Gwyn tried to calm her down. 'It's just to help it heal. You don't have to have them, they will just speed up the healing process,' she said soothingly.

'I AM NOT GETTING STITCHES!' screamed Sarah, already on edge from what had happened with Angus, coupled with her complete fear of anything to do with surgical needles making her frenzied with terror.

0o0

Somewhere, deep within the Goblin Castle (in a hidden room just to the left of the kitchens), Jareth heard the shriek reverberate around the stone walls. He immediately materialised in the royal guest bedchambers.

0o0

Sarah looked up at Jareth when he arrived, tears of irrational fear in her eyes. She ran over to him and clutched at his shirt. 'I don't want stitches. _Please _don't make me have stitches,'she sobbed into his shirt, wetting it substantially with her tears.

Jareth tried very hard to keep his temper in check as he wrapped his arms comfortingly around her. His temper begged him to do something, anything to release it. Jareth tried very hard not to roar at Gwyn for upsetting his Sarah, then he realised that if he showed the slightest bit of maladjustment to any situation Sarah would fear him more than ever; she would curl up into a tiny shell and never come out again.

So he curbed his anger and simply rubbed Sarah's back and murmured t her soothingly.

'It's all right… No-one is going to hurt you… Shhh, my dear,' he said calmingly as he guided Sarah, still clutching his shirt, to sit back down on the bed and he sat down next to her, having apparently no desire to pry her fingers from him.

He mouthed to Gwyn so not as to disturb Sarah: 'Make her medicines and get them to me. I will see what I can do about her. An I want to know exactly what her injuries are.'

Gwyn just inclined her head and quietly slipped out the door, only to be ambushed by a large gaggle of maids eager to know who was this young woman that was staying at the castle- in the royal guest suite, no less- and had captured the Goblin King's attention so completely.


	11. Just a Little Nap

Hiyall! Sorry I haven't updated but my Mum took away my internet AGAIN! It took some major sucking up so I could update so enjoy this chappie while it lasts. SHOUT OUTS!

ItsACrystalNothingMore- Here you go (just don't hold your breath for another one)

Moonjava- Always there, always grateful

atsuibelulah- She wasn't running, per say… what is muah?

KatieT- NO! HE SHOULD LOVE ME! I hate the thing with Toby, too…

satta- WRONG! DO WRONG! But you'll have to wait and see…

Solea- yeah, I always like an un-dysfunctional (not really 'functional', coz he can still function) Jareth. But, well, you may wanna change your tune in later chapters, coz like Smeagol, some stuff just lies inside waiting, waiting, until… POW!

Morrigana- No, just needles.

RoshLupin-Black- EWWW! That is so eww. But these maids are okay.

Eleanora Rose- it is in the chapter that Sarah has an irrational fear of any type of surgical needles. Right there… no, there… 

lilpyro600- JARETH IS NOT A CRAZY BONDE! He is a dumb blonde- BOWIEgirl knows what I'm talking about, nudge nudge.

Chapter Eleven

Just a Little Nap

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Sarah, lulled and soothed by the Goblin King's calming aura and constant backrubs, eventually stopped crying.

Jareth had receded into comforting silence and was resting his chin on Sarah's head. He was too busy breathing in her absolutely unique scent, toying with her beautiful brown hair, imagining what it would be like if she were his- well, as is as she would have been had she not been such a feminist- to notice that her tears had ceased.

Oh, how he loved her- so much it hurt. And now to be this close to her only to have

to let her go again- that pained him more than that troll's blade in the ambush of '98 (1298, that is).

He subconsciously thought she had fallen asleep in his arms (being to distracted by her beauty for anything to register in his rational mind), but was content to hold her until she awoke.

But Sarah was wide-awake. Wide awake and thinking. And she was thinking about a very large amount of things; he friends, her family whom she had just walked out o, her job, Angus, her injuries from his drunken rage, and, finally, Jareth, who was holding her as though she would smash like so much glass if he let go of her for even a single moment.

Sarah remembered the things Hoggle and Sir Didymus (not Ludo- he didn't really understand much about these matters. All he knew was when to grin at the formidable-looking king or run away in fear) had said about Jareth; that he had wanted to speak to her and that he had missed her…

Then Sarah's thoughts dwelled on that night, not so long ago, but it seemed like an aeon had passed since, when Jareth had appeared to her in her bedroom. She realised now that Jareth had been begging her to come with him, trying to make her see that he…he loved her.

Now Sarah thought how quickly he had come to help her last night, and how protectively he was holding her now. She felt all warm and fuzzy inside. Like she was…loved? Wanted?

No-one had ever really wanted her before- except maybe her brother, Toby. But even though Sarah adored her little sibling more than life itself, being wanted by your bother is quite different to being wanted by the Goblin King.

Everything was crashing around in Sarah's head, making any decipherable thought impossible. All she knew for sure was that she was in the arms of the Goblin King, and that he was acting as her anchor, keeping her from floating away.

Sarah curled herself into a tighter ball and snuggled herself more securely against Jareth.

Her movements completely startled Jareth as he had assumed that Sarah was asleep. He manoeuvred her body so that she was on her side, then he turned over to clasp her again to him.

Sarah kept her eyes closed until she felt Jareth's warm body against her again. She wrapped her arms around him and tucked her legs underneath her.

One of the more daring maids crept into the room an hour later, then scurried back to the scullery to tell her friends that the mysterious woman who had sustained so many terrible injuries (as Gwyn had told them) was sleeping with her arms around the Goblin King!

0o0o0o0o0o0

Sarah woke up feeling warm and secure. Then she realised that she had fallen asleep in Jareth's arms. Strangely, though, she couldn't bring herself to move away from him.

Jareth felt rather than saw Sarah wake up. He smiled then, for no apparent reason other than that she was voluntarily in his arms.

'Good morning, Sarah,' said Jareth softly.

Sarah's head jerked up. 'It's morning?'

Jareth chuckled. 'No. I just said that to see what you'd do.'

Sarah scowled and hit his arm.

Jareth raised his eyebrows as if to say '_Well, I didn't think you'd do that_'.

Sarah, seeing the surprised and arrogant look on Jareth's face, realised, to late, what she had done (oh just struck a member of FEY ROYLATY!) and put her hands over her mouth. 'Oh, I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean… I didn't realise…'

But Jareth just started laughing.

Sarah tried to get up, but failed when Jareth's warm, comfortable embrace became a vice-like grip, refusing to release her.

'Not unless you say 'please',' Jareth teased.

'Okay, 'please',' Sarah sighed.

Jareth grinned. This promised to be interesting. 'Please what?'

'Please let me up,' said Sarah irritably.

'Hmmm,' said Jareth, as though seriously considering the proposition. 'Why should I?'

Sarah narrowed her eyes. 'Because,' she said quietly.

''Because' why?'

'Are you ticklish?' asked Sarah abruptly.

Jareth looked at her cautiously. 'What has that got to do with-'

Sarah didn't even let him finish: she began tickling every bit of him that she could reach.

Jareth began to laugh and let go of Sarah, concentrating mostly on trying to keep her hands away from him (it turned out that he was ticklish).

Sarah seized her chance at once, slipping off the bed and running for the other side of the room. 'Because,' she said as Jareth recovered himself and prowled toward her, 'I'll tickle you.'

Jareth jumped for her, but Sarah, ignoring her cracked ribs, leapt lightly away, toward the window.

Jareth had a smirk on his face as he wheeled to face her again.

Sarah giggled and spun around, but as she did she got a glimpse of what lay beyond the window, her first look at the Labyrinth since she had defeated it years ago. But how it had changed! Sarah did a double take, her face a mask of absolute horror as she looked out at the desolate Labyrinth.

Jareth saw what she was looking at and stood up straight, knowing that she was not in the mood for more games, looking sadly at her, the girl who (inadvertently and to an extent) had caused his kingdom's decay.

Sarah turned to him, tears of grief sparkling in her eyes. She had not realised that she cared for the Labyrinth so much; she had only been there for a few short hours. But it had been beautiful, magical, alive… once.

'What happened?' she asked, her voice shaking dangerously.

Jareth sighed and looked at the clock. 'It's time for dinner. I will tell you while we eat.'

'No,' said Sarah, one lone tear sliding down her cheek, 'I want a closer look. And you can tell me now.'

Jareth bowed his head solemnly in ascent. 'Only for a short while, though; the Sun is going down.

Sarah nodded and caught his arm, wiping away her tear.

Jareth sent them both down to his dying kingdom.

0o00o0o0o


	12. Questions, Questions

I just have to say that I am so happy with all the reviews I got last time… I love you guys! Lady hugs everyone, even Jareth Er, sorry. Overdose on red cordial…

And just one more thing… STOP POKING ME WITH PITCHFORKS! I HAVE ALREADY BEEN PELTED WITH POPCORN TODAY BY ANGEL OF SAPCE, I DO NOT NEED TO BE ATTACKED WITH FARM TOOLS BY MY REVIEWERS!

That said and done, here are the special notes!

BOWIEgirl- Well, as much as I hate to say it, Sarah is taking care of that…

lilpyro900- yeah- I agree with you (but I won't say it out loud- Jareth is listening…)

Mord-Sith Raal- YES! Jareth is VERY ticklish! I have won sooo many tickle fights against him. You can check out the score wall if you like.

Moonjava- thanks a whole lot

Dragoneyes171986- thankyou 

atsuibelulah- oh- thanks for the kiss- I feel loved…

Kateya- OOH, THANKYOU! Whoa you have a cool name… I love knowing that there is someone on my side- the side on the opposite side of the mob…

crazy07- AHHHH! NO! DON'T BURN MY TOAST! I'M BEGGING YOU- NOOOO!

Petra- here you go, my new reviewer!

Ok- guys, sorry I put the chapter up before the shout outs but, hey, my computer can only take SO much. Now, I have changed the first chappie EVER so slightly, so you may wanna check that out.

Me no own laby. Me wish did, but.

Chapter Twelve

Questions, Questions

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Jareth transported them both to the sandstone part of the Labyrinth- the part that changes more readily than others, for, of course, the Labyrinth is forever changing- except when it was in this state.

Sarah put a pale shaking hand on the light stone that shone a kind of tarnished gold in the setting sun. Little granules of rubble crumbled down under her fingers.

'What happened?' asked Sarah, repeating what she had said scarce a minute before.

Jareth sighed, readying himself for something he really didn't want to do. 'Well, let me start at what is happening to the Labyrinth: it is dying. And it's dying…because it thinks- it feels- that I'm dying.'

Sarah grabbed his arm as if to make sure that he was still there. 'What? Why would it think something like that?'

'Well, it doesn't really 'think'… It sort of channels its ruler's emotions, which makes being the Goblin King a very tricky job.

'The Labyrinth echoes the emotions it channels. If, say, I'm happy, it will be green and flourish. If I'm… depressed… well, it's like this,' Jareth gestured around him.

While Jareth had been talking the temperature had dropped several degrees and a chill wind had swept through the stone corridor.

Sarah shivered but kept her eyes trained on Jareth.

Jareth saw Sarah shiver and whipped off his cloak, settling it around her shoulders. 'It's getting cold. Maybe we should go back to the castle.'

Sarah shook her head wildly. 'No, I want to see more. And I want to know what you're not telling me.'

'Alright, we'll stay. But let's walk to warm up.'

Sarah nodded and took Jareth's outstretched arm.

Jareth lead Sarah through the cold and darkening Labyrinth.

And while they walked, Jareth talked.

'I've… not been feeling my best… for a while now. And this is the result.'

Sarah nodded again and then gasped in shock; they had just reached the doors that were usually protected by the four dog-guards. The guards were gone. Their doors had been ripped from the wall and flung to the ground, crumbling away and covered in vines.

Sarah stepped closer to the door on the right, the one she had gone through when she had run the Labyrinth.

Jareth smiled wanly. 'You chose the right one, you know. You just have to step over the pit.' He helped Sarah over the oubliette pit and led her down the path beyond.

In less than five minutes, they had entered the hedge maze.

'Wow,' said Sarah, 'Imagine all the time I'd've saved if I'd come this way!' The she got a good look at her surroundings, a good look at the wilted, brown and bare hedges, at the cracked and rubbly stone floor.

She touched a wilted plant and watched in horror as it collapsed and crumbled away. 'When did all this happen?'

This was a question that Jareth was not prepared for. 'Well… It … uh… happened…' he stalled hesitantly.

'It happened after I left, didn't it?' asked Sarah in a dead voice.

Jareth looked at her in surprise. 'How did you know?'

'Hoggle has been worried about something for a long time. He wouldn't tell me what he was worried about- but I guess now he doesn't have to.'

Jareth tried desperately to think of something to say to her that would lead her away from this dangerous topic of conversation. However, before he could:

'It's because of me, isn't it?'

Jareth closed his eyes in defeat then looked into her bright green ones, readying himself for the tears, the tantrums, the utter humiliation of what she would doubtlessly say. Sarah ended up saying nothing as crushing to him (or his ego) as to herself.

'It's my fault you were upset. It must be! I mean, how many times does a grand King get beaten at his own game by a stupid mortal girl?'

Jareth flinched at her choice of words, but Sarah was far beyond noticing him.

'So all this,' Sarah waved an arm around her, 'is my fault.' She wasn't asking a question; she was saying the facts out loud, trying not to believe herself.

Jareth nodded needlessly. 'Yes.'

Sarah looked around her again, feeling her face crumple. Two silver tears slid from her eyes and her vision blurred, hazing the dead hedges and distorting Jareth. 'I suck,' she said, her voice breaking. 'I should die right now. This isn't right. It isn't fair on everyone who lives here.'

'Now that's just not true; the castle wasn't affected,' said Jareth hopefully. He wiped away one of Sarah's tears and let his gloved hand trail down her cheek.

Sarah looked down at the floor and sniffed sadly. 'So the people living at the castle can live happily for a little while longer, but they're the minority, Jareth. What about the majority? If I were you I'd lock me in an oubliette for the rest of eternity,' she said plaintively.

Jareth didn't speak. He had been studying her face, almost shocked at how much the devastation of his kingdom had affected her. He had followed one of her tears progress down her cheek then as it dripped off her chin… Dripped onto the floor of the pathway and near the roots of one of the saddened hedges… and hit something that one who had been in this environment for too long would think a miracle…

He hadn't been out in his Labyrinth since Sarah's return to the Underground so he had yet to detect a few changes to his realm, but this little seemingly insignificant thing he did notice. He knelt down near the hedge and brushed away a few pebbles, uncovering the treasure he had seen.

'Wh-what is it?' asked Sarah hesitantly.

'Something you might want to see before you ask me to answer your previous question,' Jareth said slyly.

Sarah narrowed her eyes cautiously at the smirk on his face.

'Look,' said Jareth.

Sarah knelt down next to Jareth and looked. Under the pebbles and leaf litter of the dying hedge maze was a single shoot. A green, living, thriving shoot.

Sarah looked back to Jareth, a delighted grin on her face. Jareth grinned at the beautiful expression on her face, shinning like a sun in his dull existence as a king in a collapsing land, bringing him hope for the future, his future.

'It seems like if I sent you away,' he helped Sarah back to her feet, 'the labyrinth would never forgive me.'

Sarah nodded, still smiling. It felt like there was a great big balloon in her chest, swelling with happiness. It seemed to her that it would never deflate.

'Now,' said Jareth, his tone serious, 'we should go back to the castle for dinner. And I think Gwyn will have made your medicines by now.'

Sarah nodded again and took his arm.

They were gone in a flurry of silver dust motes, lighting up the little shoot for just a moment.


	13. Dinner Date

hey, guys. Sorry about the stuff up last chapter, but I got a little side tracked.

Morrigana- HERE! BY NEXT YEAR! HERE YOU GO! ANOTHER CHAPTER! SOON ENOUGH? Gods, this coming from the chick who left ALL OF US in the loop with her Buffy story! Geez, I'm joking! It's that sick, Australian sense of humour- don't get used to it.

atsuibelulah- It was over 1000 words! What more could you want? Ok- trick question…

Wickedgame- Yeah- Sarah needs to have a weakness. She can't be perfect. I don't like needles either- but I can stand them. I won't tell you what I DO have a phobia of- but it's small, ugly, scary, hums, has a long nose and sucks blood. Try and guess.

Nyllewell- THANYOU! THANYOU FOR KILLING SARAH! YOU ROCK! I only wish I could do it too, but I can't as this is a J/S fic… DAMN YOU ANGEL OF SPACE FOR FORCING ME TO WRITE THIS J/S FIC!

Anyway- back to my normal attempt at sanity.

MistySatinDream- um- I am here. I'm happy that I still have readers like you- UNLIKE ALL YOUFAITHLESS READERS! REVIEW ALREADY! Erm.. sorry. Wow… my style rocks (you aren't the only one to think so- my friend Jaqui likes my writing so much she wants a story starring her for her birthday!).

Mord-Sith Raal- You are too busy to sign in but you AREN'T too busy to review? Whoa- head rush… eee…NO! NO PICKLES! NO LIGHT BULBS! **_NOTHING!_**

Gabriel- Um, Lady? What are you yelling about?

Lady- They're poking me with pickles.

Chapter Thirteen

Dinner Date

( Cha, guys I KNOW how many fanfic chapters are called this but I didn't know about that when I wrote this story. SO THERE!)

Sarah and Jareth appeared in a room with a dining table.

The room looked as if you shouted at one end, a person at the other end wouldn't even hear the echoes. To say it was huge would be a profound understatement.

The dining table looked as if it could be used as a runway for small aircraft. There were two places set at the far end of the table.

'Um… Wow…' said Sarah as she let go of Jareth. She gazed wondrously around the room.

Jareth grinned. 'This way.' He led her to the head of the table.

Sarah took off his cloak and gave it back to him, then allowed herself to be seated to the right of the head place.

Jareth pushed in her chair in a friendly manner then hung his cloak over the back of the head chair- obviously having the authority to do so as the head of the table was his permanent setting, being a king. He then sat at his place and turned to Sarah, his expression asking her what she thought of the dinning hall.

Before Sarah could utter so much as a single word, the double doors burst open and Gwyn strode purposefully into the room.

'Good,' she said crisply as she reached Jareth and Sarah. 'I thought I felt you arrive.' She put a large jar of balm and a fancy bottle filled with blue liquid in front of Sarah. 'These are for you. Just a little of the balm at a time. A teaspoon of the potion after meals, undiluted.'

Sarah nodded, feeling terrible about the way she had acted before when presented with the idea of surgical stitches, but not about to apologise in front of Jareth. She was still as stubborn as always.

Gwyn pulled out, from thin air, it seemed, a parchment scroll and gave it to Jareth. 'And _this _is for you. It outlines everything that I looked at and the treatment that I have prescribed.'

'Thankyou Gwyn,' said Jareth as he took the scroll. 'That will be all.'

Gwyn nodded and left the dinning hall.

Jareth clapped his hands and a door to the side of the table that Sarah had overlooked opened and in walked a maid. She had a strange walk- as though she were floating instead of walking. Her skin had a dull blue hue and her hair was like spun platinum- whiter even that Jareth's. She was wheeling in a covered tray and had successfully diverted Sarah's attention from the parchment that Gwyn had just dropped to Jareth, which she had just been eyeing curiously.

Instead, Sarah felt her jaw drop several degrees. The maid was obviously not fey- and definitely not human, for that matter. _She must be a water nymph! _ thought Sarah excitedly. Then she realised that her mouth was open, so closed it quickly and smiled sweetly at the nymph.

Jareth nodded to the maid as she curtseyed to him, saying 'Your Majesty'. He moved his scroll out of the way and she set a food-laden plate down in front of him.

'Thankyou, Vapora.'

Vapora smiled and put a plate down in front of Sarah.

'Thankyou,' said Sarah softly.

Vapora looked at her in awe and a small amount of fear, then practically flew out the door from whence she had come.

'Well… That was…Strange- not to criticise your staff, or anything,' murmured Sarah.

'Yes,' agreed Jareth, his brows knit together. He waved his hand and two goblets appeared, one beside his plate and the other beside Sarah's. 'Peach wine?' he offered grandly.

Sarah blushed. 'I… don't drink wine…'

Jareth shrugged his shoulders. 'Well, there goes my brilliant plan to get you drunk and have my way with you,' he said theatrically.

Sarah giggled. 'You have a very strange sense of humour, Jareth.'

Jareth grinned. 'But what would you like instead?'

Sarah blushed harder. 'I wouldn't say 'no' to some hot chocolate.'

Jareth raised an eyebrow and waved his hand again. Both goblets filled themselves with hot chocolate and steam hissed from the rims.

'Don't mind if I do,' said Jareth and he picked up his goblet, blew on it and took a sip.

Sarah felt her blush recede and drank some of her own chocolate. It was delicious; very chocolaty, not too sugary and not too creamy. It was just the right temperature; just hot enough to warm her throat without scalding it.

'Mmmm,' murmured Sarah, closing her eyes to better savour the taste.

Jareth grinned again, watching her enjoying herself. After a moment, he turned his gaze instead upon his dinner plate.

Sarah opened her eyes and sighed contentedly. It had been years since she had had a good hot chocolate. Karen didn't believe in candy, so the last time Sarah had enjoyed hot chocolate was with her mother, Linda, before she had run off with her Broadway co-star, Jeremy, and died in a head on car collision.

Sarah tried not to think of her family and she looked at her dinner.

The plate was white china with gold details. But on top of the plate was a strange and vibrantly colourful variety of what appeared to be vegetables and a collection of meat.

Sarah gingerly picked up her fork (just another of the many things that seemed to appear from nowhere in this place) and prodded a kaleidoscopically coloured vegetable shaped very much like a small carrot. She put it into her mouth, chewed and swallowed it. It tasted… different to say the least.

Sarah tried a blue vegetable, finding it not displeasing.

'What do you think?' asked Jareth, referring to the food.

Sarah looked up at him, seeing his knowing smirk and realising the test behind the casual words. 'Well, none of it seems to have been grown in the Bog of Eternal Stench.'

Jareth grinned. 'That's good news.' He started picking at his vegetables.

'Um… Jareth.'

'Hmm?' said Jareth, not looking up from his plate.

'About my friends… I… I don't ant them to know I'm here… Not yet.'

Jareth looked up at Sarah incredulously. 'Come again?'

'I will see them eventually, I just don't want them to see me like this… my face…' her voice broke and she stoped before she could start crying again.

Jareth leaned over and covered her hand with his. Sarah didn't look up as he spoke to her. 'It's alright, I understand. They won't get anywhere near you for as long as you wish it.'

Sarah nodded. 'I think I'll go to bed now. Could you please show me the way?'

Jareth took back his hand and in an instant Sarah had returned to her chambers, leaving her dinner practically untouched.


	14. Forbidden Walk

Ok, guys, now, if you want to keep thinking that Jareth is flawless and charming and-

Gabriel (taps his fingers on the arm of his chair) Yes, yes, I think we've established that.

Jareth No, go on!

Lady Shut up the both of you! Anyway, if you want to continue believing that Jareth is all nice and will keep Sarah safe and heal her and kick Angus's butt, all the while looking stylish (those pants!)-

Jareth MUST you keep on referring to my pants?

Lady YES! SHUT UP! Anyway, looking stylish and debonair- DON'T READ THIS CHAPTER! AND MOST OF NEXT CHAPTER! Jareth is going to get pissed. DANGER, DANGER, SARAH WILLIAMS!

If you want to read this story with a sensitive Jareth- the rest of the story is not for you. Just make believe that he punched Angus, married Sarah and everyone loved them; THE END

But that isn't how it went.

How many of you ACTUALLY got turned off by that and considered stopping reading then? No-one? Hey, I could be in Telemarketing!

Hmmm (turns to Jareth and Gabriel, who are thumb wrestling for the last bowl of desert) Hey, guys, why is it that I have this weird urge to mutate all of my male characters?

Gabriel (shrugs) I don't know. Hey, Jareth, why don't _you_ tell her? She's messed you up more times than she has me.

Jareth (scowls) Well, maybe she likes the dangerous type- that being the case; I think you're out of luck.

(Gabriel lunges at Jareth and they both start wrestling on the floor, shouting insults: _She likes me! _**In your dreams! **_You're dreaming if you could think that she would even consider you!_ Ect…)

Lady (sighs) Well, now for the shout outs- oooh! The last bit of desert!

Jareth and Gabriel Hey!

Petra15- Thankyou- will continue

Moonjava- Thanks

MistySatainDream- Thankyou- you are into the predictable fics, aren't you? Thaks for the compliment about the kaleidoscopically coloured carrot-like vegetable- it was either that or spotted, but I didn't think it was as catchy.

WickedGame- Poor Sarah? Oh, she gets pity… THIS IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT I WANTED TO DO FOR HER!

batteredchild- yup, yup. Plain and simple…just hold on-

MordSith-Raal- No, it's- AHHHH!-

Gabriel (claps his hands above Lady's head) Got it!

Lady (sighs) Thanks. Anyway, it's good that you're reading all of the shout-outs- there are good story hints there. I must say I've not the patience. And-

Jareth (looks worried) oh, no! That's the look she gets when she's abut to rant about Sarah! Cover your ears!

Lady I DO NOT LIKE SARAH! SHE SHOULD DIE! I _HATE _HER! AND HATE IS SUCH A STRONG WORD! I AM NOT, NOR HAVE I EVER BEEN, PART OF HER FAN CLUB! Bet _you _are, but…

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Chapter 14

Forbidden Walk

Jareth picked up the scroll that Gwyn had dropped off to him. He scanned the page, then stopped when he reached the part about Sarah's cracked ribs.

The air crackled with magic as his rage tried to find an outlet.

_How dare he hurt her so badly!_ Jareth roared in his head. _How dare he strike my Sarah? This Angus?_

Then a little voice of evil reason piped up, speaking in a voice dripping venom to infect the wounds its words inflicted:

**Ahh, **hissed the poison-laced voice, **but there's the rub; she isn't yours, is she?** it said, forcing Jareth to admit his faults t o himself.

_Well…Not yet._

**Hmm,** drawled the voice, **so you plan to make the indomitable _Sarah Williams_ yours, yes?**

_Yes, I do, _Jareth insisted forcefully, trying in vain to push the voice away.

**_When _will you understand that she will _never _stay with you? Sooner or later, she will demand to be sent home, and you will let her leave. She will _never love you!_ And I know you know; you have admitted it to yourself plenty of times, _Goblin King._**

Jareth roared, stood up with such force that his throne-like chair was knocked to the floor and summoned a crystal. His eyes flashed dangerously as he mutated the crystal into a ball of fire, then pitched it vehemently into the dinning room wall.

The fireball smashed into the stone wall, leaving behind an enormous scorch mark.

Jareth grabbed is cloak off his fallen chair and disappeared into his bedchambers to pace until dawn.

0o0o0o0o

Sarah sat down heavily on her bed. She was so tired- but she couldn't sleep. Impossible, since Jareth had sent her to her room- but he hadn't sent her medicines with her. They were sitting, forgotten, in the dinning room.

_Well, all I have to do is wait a while and then I'll go out and get them,_ thought Sarah.

She waited for a while. And she waited. And waited. There was no risk of her falling asleep; her ribs were throbbing constantly, preventing any chance Sarah had of relaxation.

Sarah massaged her ribs gently, trying to work out the pain; it was no use. She resigned herself to her medicinal wandering mission.

The moon was low in the sky and the gentle glow of dawn illuminated the horizon beyond the ever changing and slowly recuperating Labyrinth by the time Sarah convinced herself that it was safe to go to the dinning room.

She rested her hand on her door handle, then bit her lip._ Jareth said I shouldn't wander around the castle. He said it was to keep me safe…_she thought.

_But I'm not _really_ wandering; I_ know _where I want to go…_

Making up her mind, Sarah carefully opened her door and went out, closing it silently.

She crept along countless passages, moving gingerly to save her ribs, trying to find the dinning room.

After walking for an hour and trying almost 20 doors (she counted), Sarah successfully located the dinning room. She went in and collected her medicines, cradling them in her arms. She slipped out of the cavernous room as quietly as she had entered it.

Sarah ran lightly through the castle and thought that she was home free as her bedchamber door came into view- until she saw Jareth striding down the corridor from the opposite direction, heading right for her.

She stood stock-still as she saw Jareth stiffen, then disappear.

'And _and where are you going?_'

Sarah reluctantly turned around and hesitantly looked up into Jareth's furious gaze. 'Back to my room,' she said in a small voice.

'And where _were_ you going?' hissed Jareth menacingly. His anger was finally finding an available vent- Sarah.

'I-I was just getting my medicine. I left them in the dinning room,' said Sarah. She sincerely hoped that her fear wasn't obvious in her voice. She could see it in Jareth's eyes that he wasn't himself- he had morphed back into the intimidating, vicious Goblin King that sought revenge for what she had done to him, for what she had practically done to his kingdom. It was impossible not to fear him.

'Did I not say not to wander around the castle at night?' asked Jareth quietly, but his quiet, dangerously silky voice was worse than if he were shouting- at least that's what Sarah thought- until he started shouting.

Sarah nodded. 'Yes.'

'Did I not say tat it was for your own safety?'

Sarah bit her lip. She could no longer meet his eyes and looked down at the stone floor as she said, 'Yes.'

'I will be locking your door from now on, is that clear?'

Sara didn't know when she started crying, but right then she realised that tiny waterfalls of salt were cascading down her cheeks- obviously Jareth hadn't noticed. She nodded silently, not trusting herself to speak.

But Jareth wasn't finished; his pent-up anger was forcing its way out:

'DO YOU REALISE WHT IGHT HAVE HPPENED! THERE ARE OTHERS COMING AND GOING IN THIS PLACE, NOT JUST ME, AND SOME OF THEM WOULD FIND NO GREATER JOY THAN TAKING YOU AWAY FROM ME! YOU ARE NOT TO LEAVE YOUR ROOM UNACCOMPANIED FOR ANY REASON, IS THAT IN ANY WAY UNCEAR!'

Somewhere during Jareth's rant, Sarah had started to sob. She didn't say anything.

Jareth only now realised that she was crying, and, too late, opened his mouth to apologise-

But Sarah didn't give him the time; she simply nodded again, dropped her medicines (which landed and smashed on the floor) and ran into her room, slamming the door.

0o0o0o


	15. Regrets and Refuge

Whoo! Over 1400 words! You guys should feel very appreciated! I wouldn't do such a long chappie for just anyone, ya know! Now, people, I have re-done my profile page to include FANFIC PREVIEWS! This little treasure now has updates on all your favourite fics- well, the ones written by me, anyway.

WickedGame- I love it when Jareth is a bit evil, too… WHAT ABOUT ME NOT BEING IN SARAH'S FAN CLUB? ISN'T IT OBVIOUS? BECAUSE SHE IS A SLAG!

Moonjava- Thankyou- you are appreciated

Petra15- Continuing- now

Nugrey- Whoa! How many reviews did you leave? Well, I think I like you! As for your last review- not to poke holes, or anything- but it isn't even legal for me to get a job yet. I can't even be employed by McDonalds until November!

What's with the bee's knees? I'm six? Hmmm

I showed your last review to my friend Andrew and he said that it was one of those things that you should frame- I mightn't do that, but I will keep it- stuff like this doesn't come around every day!

BOWIEgirl- Nope, no need to volunteer, I got it all taken care of; JARETH!

(Jareth) Yeah?

(Lady) SMACK!

(Jareth)- What was that for? Owww!

(Lady) Well, apparently, you're getting out of hand.

(Jareth) Oh.

Calendae- DON'T DIS THE NAME! ANGUS IS OK! You left quite a lot of reviews… I'd say you were my new best friend if my best friend hadn't been stolen last week… If you wanna know more, check out my profile… I just don't wanna go into it…

batteredchild- Um, not sure about Sarah getting hurt PHYSICALLY again- But mentally (laughs evilly), Now THAT I can do!

Eclecticbabe- I'm scary? I'm glad someone else is saying so.

FinalFantasyFanGirl- Here is the next chapter!

Mord-Sith Raal- WHAT IS UP WITH YOU AND JARETH ATTACKING SARAH WITH POINTY OBJECTS? NO, JARETH IS NOT GOING TO ATTACK SARAH WITH A NEEDLE! Uh…so Jareth's gonna do what now?

Chapter 15

Regrets and Refuge

0o0o0o0o

Jareth stood unmoving for a few moments, his overloaded brain trying to register what had just happened, what he had just done. His mouth was still open slightly as he stared down at the mess of medicines on the floor- the mess that had once been essential for her recovery- the medicines that she had dropped in shock and fear.

Jareth closed his mouth and leant his forehead against the corridor wall, breathing heavily. He felt awash with guilt; this was exactly the opposite of what he wanted to do- Sarah was more frightened of him than ever.

_S_TUPID! he roared at himself. _IDIOT! IRRESPONSIBLE BASTARD!_

**Well, what did you expect? **said that evil voice in the back of Jareth's mind snidely. **Of course you were short with he… It only shows that you don't deserve her…**

Jareth beat his fist against the wall in anger. He closed his eyes in pain, then opened them and thought about his next plan of action.

_Well,_ he thought dazedly, _Sarah is probably sitting in her room crying at present and will throw small projectiles at me if I disturb her… I'll have to make amends later. But for now…_

He waved his hand over the mess of shattered glass and multicoloured potion and it disappeared. He then created a crystal and sent it to Gwyn, a message encased inside informing her of the need for more of Sarah's medicine and to see him later in the day.

Jareth walked over to Sarah's door and put his hand up against the firm wood. His hand slid down to the doorknob and stayed there. He just couldn't bring himself to follow through with his threat. He simply sighed and disappeared to his chambers to get some elusive sleep.

0o0o0o0o0o

Sarah ran over to her bed and collapsed upon it, sobbing into a pillow.

She knew she had been wrong when she had left her chambers, but she hadn't thought that Jareth would shout at her.

Sarah had never heard Jareth raise his voice before. She had half-expected him to strike her in his anger.

Sarah curled up into a ball on her bed and held her pillow in a death grip.

_Gods, how many times am I going to cry this week?_ she thought disgustedly.

Sarah sat up straight as a poker when she heard her door handle rattle slightly. She held her breath tensely, waiting for Jareth to either lock her door or come in and shout at her some more.

In the end, neither happened, and Sarah stared in puzzlement as the shadow that showed under her door vanished.

She turned back to her already very damp pillow and sobbed into it once more. She berated herself for being so stupid, so gullible, so… _innocent_.

_Jareth is just a childish sore loser: all he wanted from me is some petty revenge. I'm so **thick **to have believed that he cared about me! It was just some sick, sadistic way to get his own back!_

_And_, Sarah wailed piteously into her pillow. _And now I'm stuck here. Forever. **I've GIVEN myself to him!**_

Sarah pummelled her pillow with her fist, trying to release some of the sorrow in her heart and the pain in her ribs, as, of course, she hadn't taken her medicines to block out the discomfort.

After a while, Sarah, exhausted from crying, fell into a deep and troubled slumber, the rising sun glinting off her window, providing a gentle warmth for her comfort, like a well-meant and well-deserved embrace.

0o0o0o0o0

The golden sunlight played in Sarah's tousled hair, her tear-stained face and puffy eyes as she tossed and turned in her sleep, mumbling and murmuring incoherently, her brow creased in fear, her nightmares plaguing her mind.

_Blood, lots of blood. Fear everywhere. Running, always running. A shadowy figure on the path ahead. The figure reaches forward, its face hidden. Hot flames of fear ick Sarah and she steppes back, away from the imposing figure. Her legs were made of lead, she couldn't move. And the figure is approaching swiftly. He is malicious. He is enjoying her fear. He's reaching for her-_

'Sarah, dear. Sarah, wake up.'

Sarah's eyes snapped open and she let in a shuddering gasp. She began coughing and gasping. She sat up and clutched at her throat.

Gwyn patted her firmly on the back and Sarah began to breathe normally again.

'Gwyn? What are you doing here?' asked Sarah groggily.

'I've just brought you your medicine. And your breakfast,' said Gwyn, indicating the covered tray that she had put on the bed and the medicine bottles on the bedside table next to Sarah's crystal.

Sarah looked at Gwyn in confusion. 'My medicines? But I dropped them last night…'

Gwyn nodded. 'Yes, you did. But Jareth called me up and told me to make you some more.'

Sarah went quite at the mention of the Goblin King's name.

Gwyn looked at her concernedly. 'What's wrong, hmmm?'

Sarah sniffled. 'Nothing…'

'Something's wrong, dear. Would you like to talk about it? Is it because of how you got all those terrible injuries?'

Sarah sniffled again. 'Well… yes and no. Jareth yelled at me last night.'

Gwyn and patted Sarah's back soothingly. 'He can be quite fearsome when he wishes. I have known him for many years; his temper is unmatched.'

'I went to the dinning room last night to get my medicines because I forgot them there… and Jareth caught me when I was almost back to my room. He…he said that someone could have taken me away from him, he said that there were others in the castle, not just him…' Sarah said softly.

'Yes, that's right; Jareth has some visitors over; the elf prince and a few other dignitaries- they were here before you came and distracted him. He was talking to them about the tax laws and other such sordid things. He will recommence their conference tomorrow morning,' said Gwyn.

Sarah bit her top lip softly.' Jareth said I'm not allowed out of my room unaccompanied from now on…'

Gwyn pursed her lips. 'I'll see what I can do about that, dear. You needn't worry. Now, how about some of this breakfast, then you can have some of what I think you called 'painkillers.''

Sarah nodded almost eagerly and began to pick at her breakfast. The toast tasted like sawdust, the tea was unhelpfully scalding. Nothing was to her taste- but maybe it was just her.

Sarah realised that these were foods that were normally served at an Aboveground breakfast.

'Gwyn, these are things that I'm used to, why is that?' Sarah asked.

Gwyn shrugged. 'I thought that you might like the comfort of the familiar.'

Sarah smiled appreciatively. 'Can I have some of those painkillers now?

Gwyn poured Sarah a dose of the blue potion. 'I'm not sure if you'll like the taste…' she began.

Sarah took the cap of medicine and downed it quickly. 'Mmm!' she said, smacking her lips. 'It tastes like blueberry vodka!'

Gwyn took the cap and re-stopped the bottle. 'You like it?'

Sarah nodded. 'Vodka is a kind of Aboveground alcohol with different flavourings. Not that I'm a big drinker, or anything. I just like the taste.'

Gwyn smiled in a way that indicated that she didn't understand fully, but didn't want to be fully educated on the subject. 'And, when you're ready, just have a little of the cream at a time.' She picked up Sarah's breakfast tray and turned to leave. 'Oh, and Jareth will be seeing you later. You might want to listen to what he has to say.' She left, leaving Sarah feeling quite confused.

Sarah looked at the bruise cream hopelessly. She just couldn't bring herself to examine her marks again…

She decide that she felt dirty and ran herself a bath, using so much bubble water that she suspected that it would support her weight if she were stupid enough to test it.

Sarah emerged from the bath with soothed muscles and untraceable tearstains. She decided to dress herself in a dark red dress with deep sleeves trimmed with black lace. The neckline dipped down far enough to see the barest hint of her bust. The whole dress showed off very little of Sarah's injuries, making them seem less severe then they actually were.

She was just finishing brushing her hair into a shining mass of chocolate locks, when a light knock sounded on her door.

0o0o0o


	16. Out of the Wardrobe

HEY! How is everyone! Wow, you guys are lucky! Another chapter so early on MY schedule… I must be an angel!

Antill- SCUNGE! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU SCUNGY WAITER? You have quite a lot of gall to be reviewing my story without even reading the chapter; even JESSE does me that courtesy- and Jesse isn't courteous, Coolby. I can tell you didn't read the story because it would take you more than 3 hours to read the FULL story, and because it is a sappy romance story. And why are you calling me Emma? I mean, people only call me that because of my other story, the one with Jareth and the heroine I called Emma, and you haven't even READ that story (for which I am forever grateful- eyuk). And you should check on your spelling- there is a reason you only got 7 out of 20 last week. How was the test today? Did you improve? Sorry I wasn't there to rub it in if you didn't (j/k). How do you mean 'like'? You mean as annoying 'I keep on pulling out your bright red hair and then offering it back to you' sort of like? Or 'Movies and holding hands' kind of like?

DID YOU JUST DIS JARETH! I WILL STAB YOU TOMORROW! YOU WANT ANOTHER GOUGE MARK ON YOUR ARM? Good, coz, I'll give you MORE than one.

(Gabriel) Ouch, man. You got told.

(Jareth) you know, I'd go all Goblin King on you- if I weren't feeling so sorry for you, mortal. Oh, and do you see that zit on your cheek? You may want to do something about that.

Mord-Sith Raal- Thanks for telling me. Great chapter, by the way. AND I CERTAINLY HOPE YOU WERE JUST KIDDING! I DO NOT SUCK THE FUN! I am not a fun sucker!… and yes, It does make me feel all warm and toasty…

Petra15- Thanks

atsuibelulah- I looove it when Jareth has a temper- and when he had demons! It makes him.. Well, I dunno… different. YA HEAR THAT, ANTILL?

Moonjava- Thanks again.

fish- well, that's an interesting name. But, incidentally, can fish have seats? I mean, you can't be on the edge of yours if you can't sit… I'm looking to far into this, aren't, I?

Calendae- I do too. Princess (yeah, it is a she) (she used to be called 'Prince Mickey', now she's Princess Mickey) was taken on the 7th- I got home and she wasn't there… I just hope my vicious bird took a bite out of the bugger that did it… She was such a lovely cockatiel… sigh…

Willow-sama- thankyou. But I'll keep the theatrics to myself, Thankyoup! Hehe, that really is how I say thankyou in my posh accent… I was kidding, just now, though. I must torment you because that is how I get my kicks- that and pulling out clumps of Antill's hair.

jumping-jo- I know! Even though I'm too young to drink it… damn, being a minor STINKS!

Keta Divina- I love toying with Jareth's personality-

(Jareth) Hey!

It's like he's some sort of fantastic play-doh!

batteredchild- well, I'd do physical if I could- but then she wouldn't be so fun.

SmeagulTheWeasul- Thankyou, and that translates as?

Chapter 16

Out of the Wardrobe

'Sarah? Please let me in; I need to talk to you,' came Jareth's voice from behind the door.

Sarah just stared at the heavy oak portal. _Well, maybe I would, if you hadn't "locked" my door!_ She thought bitterly.

There was a sigh of long suffering from behind the door. 'I won't pretend that this wasn't unexpected…' was Jareth's grumbling response to Sarah's answering silence. 'Fine. But I will still speak to you even if you have denied me your presence; I want to say that I'm sorry for… for blowing up at you this morning… it wasn't your fault.' There was an expectant pause. 'Will you let me in now?'

Again, Sarah made no answer. She looked dumbly at the door, thinking dryly; _wow, Jareth apologising. What's next? A proposal?_ She smirked.

Jareth frowned. _She's stubborn_, he thought simply. _And the normal rules don't apply; one false word and…_ he left the consequences of just one mistake unthought.

'Sarah, I'm being serious,' he said, trying to bully her into responding.

After a minute, Jareth continued; 'Sarah,' he sighed. 'I'm sorry about what I did,' he prepared to pull out the always dependable cynical reaction achiever; 'I didn't mean it.'

Sarah scoffed audibly. She found a piece of paper and a pen in one of her bedside table drawers and quickly scribbled a message, then she folded the note, slipped it under her door and went to hide in her wardrobe behind her shoe rack so she wouldn't have to listen to Jareth grovel anymore.

Jareth heard shuffling from inside the room. He hoped that it was Sarah getting dressed or something- until the note slid under the door. He quickly picked it up and opened it.

**Oh, you didn't?**

Jareth raised his eyebrows. _Well, it had somewhat of the desired effect… She just didn't open the door… she has an amazing memory…_

'OK, I deserve that,' he mumbled.

'SARAH, OPEN THIS DOOR!'

Even from inside her wardrobe, Sarah heard the command. She huddled under her dresses and pressed herself against the wall. She struggled not to cry out in fear, because that was what she was feeling towards the Goblin King. Fear. She felt like she was in a terrifying nightmare that just wouldn't end, that she just couldn't wake up from. It was like a she had a severe case of nostalgia; this was exactly how she had felt when she had run the labyrinth.

Sarah curled up into a foetal position and buried her head in her skirt.

Jareth rested his forehead on the door, trying to figure out his next move. It was very important that he talk to her; she couldn't stay mad at him forever.

And if he had to be aggressive to achieve his goal… So be it. It wouldn't be the first time.

Jareth took a step back until he felt the corridor wall against his back, then blasted the door open with a ball of energy so powerful that it caused the door to ricochet off the bedchamber wall.

Jareth strode into the room, not knowing that Sarah, still hidden in her wardrobe, was cowering at the sound of her door being thrown open. He looked around, fully expecting to see a glowering Sarah ready to fly at him in rage.

Instead, he was greeted with an empty bedroom.

Puzzled, Jareth (perhaps not too wisely) checked the bathroom. He stuck his head in, then retreated back into the bedroom when he affirmed that the bathroom was uninhabited by any except the marble dryad.

He turned to the wardrobe, opening the door hesitantly, every second imagining Sarah to yell and scream and attack him for entering her private domain.

'Sarah?' he asked, looking around in the dark wardrobe. His sight afforded him little as the only light came from the doorway that he had left open and all he could see, even with its aid, were large blobby shapes protruding from the shadows that seemed to be the silhouettes of the many garments that he himself had commissioned to be made for Sarah's use. Jareth pushed one of the dresses out of the way, remembering how he had spared no expense in the construction of his guest's clothes.

He was sure she was in here.

'Sarah, come out please.'

'No,' said Sarah dispiritedly.

Jareth sighed softly and closed his eyes. He opened them and closed the wardrobe door slightly, so that only a sliver of light penetrated the inky darkness.

Jareth located Sarah easily: he just had to follow her suppressed sniffles. He squatted down beside her and cocked his head, pushing aside the shoe rack so that he could see Sarah better.

'Sarah,' he began entreatingly. 'I do wish you'd forgive me. I really am sorry; I was angry at a lot of things and I took it out on you. And it was unfair.'

Sarah sniffled. 'Nothing's fair.'

Jareth sat down properly and cuddled up to her. 'Not much is,' he murmured, 'but we can still try to make some things fair.' He tucked a bit of hair behind her ear, at last finding the horrendous incision at the side of her head.

Jareth sucked in his breath angrily. 'So this is what Gwyn wanted to stitch up?' he asked.

Sarah nodded. 'But… but I don't want stitches. I don't like stitches,' she whispered pitiably.

Jareth hugged her. 'Don't worry about that. Will you look at me?'

Sarah blinked, then lifted her head out of her lap, looking at Jareth's silhouette.

He smiled. 'Now I can see your beautiful eyes.'

Sarah giggled. 'How? You can't see anything in here.'

Jareth looked away and breathed out through his nose heavily in mock annoyance. 'Hmm. Well, there goes my best pickup line.'

Sarah laughed properly this time, causing Jareth to hold on to her just a little bit tighter.

'Would you like to come out of your wardrobe?' asked Jareth.

Sarah raised an eyebrow. 'Your back up pickup line?'

'Maybe.' Jareth shrugged.

'Well, anyway, I think it would be a great idea… but what about my not leaving my room without anyone? Does that still stand?'

Jareth smirked lopsidedly. 'No, nor does the threat about locking your door. Let's just say I had a long, meaningful talk full of shouting with Gwyn.' He stood up and offered Sarah his hand. 'Here.'

Sarah took Jareth's hand and he pulled her up. They, together, walked out of the wardrobe.

'So,' asked Jareth as he shut the wardrobe door, 'what would you like to do?'

Sarah thought for a moment- then something that had been niggling annoyingly at the back of her mind hit her like a ton of… bricks… 'Hey, I haven't seen any goblins around here! Were are they?'

'I told them to keep quiet and stay out of your way; I wasn't sure how you would react to them,' said Jareth somewhat lamely. He had really wanted to keep them out of the way so that Sarah wouldn't be distracted from him- but Sarah didn't need to know that.

'Oh, I'm fine with them. Can we go see them? They dance like idiots, they're so funny,' Sarah giggled.

Jareth grinned and lead Sarah out of the chamber and into the hallway. He showed her through many different corridors and down many different staircases.

'You see,' explained Jareth, 'the trick to this place is having an idea of where you want to go. Usually the castle will take you there without too much fuss. It's really just an appendage to the Labyrinth, you know.'

'Wow, I didn't realise that.' Sarah looked around the stone passageway that was dotted with magnificent tapestries and adorned with spectacular paintings every few metres.

'Well,' said Jareth, stopping in front of a pair of double doors. 'This is it.' He looked at Sarah. 'Are you sure about this?'

Sarah laughed. 'You sound like we're about to step into a live volcano.'

Jareth's expression grew grim. 'That is, perhaps, a good comparison.' He pushed the doors with both hands. They swung open.

Everyone in the huge room beyond fell silent.


	17. Lady Sarah Bringer of Freedom

Ok, disclaimer- I don't own Labyrinth, or Sarah, or Jareth- but, let's face it, if I owned Jareth, what would I be doing _right now? _What would YOU do? I do own Gabriel, but he isn't very happy about it.

(Gabriel) Yeah, because you're making me help you housetrain your new puppy.

(Lady) That's right! I forgot to tell you that I got a new staffy puppy last weekend! He's so cute! And I named him after death eaters from Harry Potter- Draco Severus Black- Draco, duh, Draco Malfoy- Severus, duh, Severus Snape, Black, Duh, Sirius' brother Regulus, Sirius' cousin, Bellatrix before she married and became a Lestrange, and her sister, Narcissa, duh, Draco Malfoy's mum- she was a Black before she married Lucius and became a Malfoy.

So, now that I've bored the living crap out of you with that Harry potter genealogy, here are the shout outs!

MordSith-Rahl- Yes! You are being punished! Ya har! You're having trouble with Jareth? um… so you are trying to make him seem evil but be good (at least to a small extent) at the same time? Ouch- that's tough.

omega000- Jesse, you friken butt! Pick on Alex on your own fraggin time! And before you start bitchin' to him about his spelling, try to check your own! Retardate is not a word (he's retarded- like GUMBY!). and DON'T DIS THE NAME ANGUS!

atsuibelulah- Your opinion does matter- but I think it's weird that some people love the 'Jareth breaking down door' bit, and some, like you, didn't think it appropriate. Just goes to show that we all have different ideas of what Jareth should be.

Moonjavau- Thankyou

Callendae- I will, don't you fret

SmeagulTheWeasul- I've, uh (I think you might attack me, but, oh, well) never seen or heard or read TPOTO… You are going to hurt me, aren't you?

BatteredChild- Hmmm, I don't think I was thinking of that at the time… But, still!

Eleanora Rose- Thankyou- but what is cute about Jareth breaking down a door? Hot, I understand, but cute?

Eos Egrait- YAY! I GET MAJOR PROPS! But, why must I die? Cool, someone else who thinks I'm scary! Boo yah!

Petra15- Lucky last! And here we are!

LLLLLL

Chapter 17

Lady Sarah; Bringer of Freedom

Every open eye in the cavernous room was turned toward the open door and the two figures silhouetted against the stone of the hallway lying just beyond.

Inside the room were a few dozen free-range chickens, five- or six- cats, lots of sparrows, a dwarf or to and a smorgasbord of goblins.

There were tough goblins, sissy goblins, goblins who climbed on rocks (A/N I have _no_ idea where that rhyme came from, LOL). There were green goblins, brown goblins, fuzzy goblins, slimy goblins, big goblins and that cute little goblin with the red eyes and the purple scarf. His name is Dallen.

And even more goblins besides.

They had been drinking, playing tiggy, chasing chickens, being attached by cats and, mostly, sleeping.

But now they were silent, except for the occasional snore.

'Um…' said Sarah uncertainly. 'Hi.'

It was amazing that in those one and a half words, Sarah Williams wrought a force more powerful and uncontrollable than the Pompeian eruption of Mount Vesuvius: goblins when they're really, really, happy.

There were several gleeful cries from around the room and every goblin, chicken, cat, sparrow and dwarf, even the ones who had been asleep just a moment before, but most certainly weren't now, bolted towards Sarah, their arms outstretched, yelling 'My Lady Sarah!', or, for the ones who couldn't, or wouldn't, speak ; 'Sawa, Sawa!' and 'Buck, buck, buck!' and 'Meow! And some other miscellaneous noises, some of them more pleasant than others.

If Sarah were made out of weaker stuff, she would have turned tail and run, but she did not, even when Jareth deserted her; he had taken a single glance at the tsunami of his drunken subjects and moved cautiously off to the side of the cavern, out of the goblins' line of sight.

Sarah instead walked right up to the rampaging goblins with nothing but happiness on her face.

The goblins, with gentleness one would not have expected from them, surged around her, tugging on her dress to get her attention, jostling around to hold her hands, talking over each other, trying to tell her about goblin things.

Sarah couldn't help but laugh. 'Alright!' she said tolerantly. 'Settle down. Now, what do you want to say?' she asked with mother-like warmth.

All of the goblins spoke at once.

Sarah laughed again and let the goblins run riot.

After ten minutes, the goblins had done nothing but shout and yell, and Jareth was at his wits' end.

'**Enough!**' he shouted. He made a gesture and all of the goblins were struck dumb- he had taken their voices.

Sarah turned to Jareth. 'That wasn't very nice.'

Jareth blinked. 'What else would you have me do? They can do this for days!'

'Oh,' said Sarah, looking around at the confused goblins. 'Well, uh… It was great to see you…' She trailed off, the said to Jareth; 'Will you let them out of here?'

Jareth looked at her, then at the goblins, then back at Sarah. He didn't want to let the goblins out, it was such a pleasant change to have a quiet castle, but as he looked a6 Sarah's imploring face, he felt his resolve wither. 'Fine, but I'm not giving them their voices back…right now.'

Sarah smiled. She patted the nearest goblin's head. 'See you later.' She extricated herself from the horde and slipped her arm through the crook of Jareth's. 'Where to?' she asked him.

'Would you like to see the gardens?' asked Jareth.

'Sure.' Sarah let Jareth lead her from the goblin's room.

Quite a few goblins followed them into the corridor only to find their attention was waning, so contented themselves with haunting the castle's halls, causing all kinds of mischief.

The others went back to sleep.

LLLLLLLLL

Yes, short, I know, short! But it was prompt! Come, on, be nice! I'm depressed, ok! My best friend disappeared! And I update when I'm depressed! Exclamation marks!

Next chapter is going to get VERY fluffy- but there will also be some Jareth Name-calling- by someone you won't get to see!


	18. A Bouquet of Flowers and a Peach's Secon

Ok, now at the end of this chapter is a tad bit of foul language in the dinning room… But you guys won't get to find out who says it until next chapter- evil cackle 

I don't own the Labyrinth, or a mansion in Cuba, or the Eiffel Tower, or the Taj Mahaal, and certainly not Jareth.

Now, have you guys heard, or have you guys heard about the bogus new rule for reviewing? We can't do shout outs! That is so a huge suck fest- and I'm not talking about the Jareth kind of suck fest. But don't ya's worry- just coz someone shoved a cork up someone on the ff board's butt does **_not_** mean I'm abandoning you- Id faster rid my room of everything owl-related- and that ain't gonna happen! Well, make your lemons into lemonade, as I always say. Check out my profile for my solution. The good bit; you don't have ta wait for a new chappie for my replies!

LLLLLLL

Chapter 18

A Bouquet of Flowers and a Peach's Second Chance

Jareth lead Sarah out of the castle and into the beautifully manicured gardens. He seemed alert, but it was most certainly a case of 'The lights are on but no-one's home' as his mind was positively reeling with information.

_How is it possible_, thought Jareth,_ that mere hours ago Sarah was petrified of me and hated me beyond all comprehension, but now I'm showing her my gardens- with her arm through mine, no less?_

Jareth shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts.

Sarah looked around the gardens in absolute wonder. They were the most beautiful gardens she'd ever seen; with roses of all colours and shades, including a small bush of black roses that looked to be the best tended; there were pansies, but much larger than the Aboveground varieties: the flower was about the same size as a saucer; fragrant frangipanis and so many more.

And then there were the trees. There were apple trees with apples and blossoms and leaves all on the same branch; weeping willows on the banks of a huge pool of crystal clear water dotted with immaculate water lilies; ghost gums- actual gum trees from Australia (A/N ok, I can't help it, but I have one of these in my backyard and it's so pretty, so I thought it warranted a special place in the gardens), tiny bonsai trees in a little grove and far too many others to see at once.

There were so many plants from the Aboveground- and the Underground too, from the looks of it, as the Underground has a lot of the Aboveground flora and fauna- just modified a bit (A/N just an extra mouth here, a scary horn there- and let's make the bunnies poisonous!). It seemed that the only person who knew what they all were and how many there was, was Jareth, who was silent with his own thoughts- leaving Sarah's to wander.

It was out of pure habit that Jareth took her where he did next; into a tiny clearing that housed just one tree: a peach tree, _the_ Peach Tree, the one from which a enchanted peaches spring.

Sarah gnawed at her bottom lip. _Why has he brought me here? He must know that I that I don't eat peaches anymore…_

She hesitated a little before Jareth lead her into the clearing, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Jareth looked down at his unwilling company, then looked around at their surroundings, and he, the mighty Goblin King, could have kicked himself. He hadn't realised where he was going- he just subconsciously lead himself to his thinking spot; the base of his favourite tree.

Sarah looked uncomfortably up at him. 'I don't like peaches, Jareth.'

Jareth blinked and looked down at her again. He looked over at his tree, then back at Sarah. 'I'm sorry… I didn't realise.'

Sarah smiled. 'That's okay.'

Jareth looked at her curiously. 'Why don't you like peaches? You _used _to like peaches.'

Sarah blushed and looked down. 'I really didn't like the… ball-vision-thingy…'

Jareth frowned. 'Why?'

'I just… didn't like the people; they were pushing and they were all a bit scary. And that dress was **hideous!**' Sarah added with a laugh.

'But that had nothing to do with the peach,' reasoned Jareth.

'I guess not.'

'Well, what about giving the peach a second chance? No worm included,' Jareth smiled.

Sarah examined the grass as she mentally battled with a self taught habit; peaches hallucinationsamnesiabad.

She sighed and looked up. 'If nothing will happen, and if you will have half.'

Jareth grinned and summoned a crystal, turning it into a normal peach.

Sarah took the peach and split it, holding each half in her hands. 'You go first,' she instructed.

Jareth took the half with the pit, took out the inedible seed and had a large bite.

Sarah looked at him cautiously and then took a bite out of her own half. She chewed and swallowed the fruit, finding nothing wrong with it. She smiled and wiped a little juice from her chin. 'I think that you just put me back on peaches.'

Jareth chuckled and tossed the pit away. 'I'm glad. Now what about that tour?'

The two finished their peach and walked slowly around the gardens. Jareth made Sarah a bouquet made of one of each of the flowers that she admired- by sunset she had acquired over fifty different plants in a vibrant and fragrant mix.

Jareth looked over at Sarah as she splashed her toes happily in the creek flowing through a rose glade.

'Are you hungry?' he asked.

Sarah dried her feet on her skirt and slipped her shoes back on. 'A little', she said as she picked up her flowers.

'Time to go back up to the castle, then, dear.' He took up her free hand and guided her through the creeping shadows up to the castle.

Sarah, having always been a little afraid of the dark since her sojourn in the oubliette, clung to Jareth's hand a bit tighter than what was really necessary as the sunlight quickly vanished. All of the plants and bushes appeared to jump out and stray branches seemed to grab at Sarah's dress and arms.

Jareth looked down at her but kept his silence.

Sarah was so distracted by her fear that by the time Jareth had guided her into the castle and up to the dinning room, she only just realised the disappearance of her garland of flowers as he was seating her.

'Where are my flowers?' she asked dumbly.

'I sent them to your room while we were walking. They're on your bedside table in a vase of water,' said Jareth as he sat down in his own seat.

Sarah smiled gratefully at him. 'Thankyou,' she said quietly.

Jareth returned her smile with one of his own. 'You are very welcome.' He clapped his hands and Vapora appeared.

The maid served the two dinner, then left as quickly as she could.

Sarah started eating with much more enthusiasm than she had the night before.

Jareth chuckled. 'Hungry much?'

Sarah swallowed. 'Yep.'

Both of them started laughing.

Suddenly, the door burst open and an angry shout rang through the room: 'You lying bastard!'


	19. Secret's Out

Hi all! I know it has been SOOO long- but here is a super big chappie! Also, since the whole, shout outs rule hasn't come to code yet, I've decided to just put them on the chapters, for now. This decision was also reached because only one person was looking at the shout outs on my livejournal. Shows what good mates you are. I'm just kiddin. I'm so really super happy- I'm going to be a big sister soon! So the happiness means more chappies for you! I'm on school holidays now so I should be working a bit more on my stories- unless some mysterious guy asks me out to the movies- then I'll just let it slip…

(Jareth) taps foot Mysterious guy?

(Gabriel) Yeah- what we aren't good enough for you now?

(Lady) Oh, come on. You two have never been good enough for me; you're always bickering and that means you never have time for me.

Jareth grabs Gabriel and has a huddle with his brother. Whispering sounds.

(Lady) I have no idea what they're doing- so here are your shouts!

MistySatinDream- you may have to wait a little for the angus arse crunchin- but not too long. See, yuz guys are on, say, page 36 of my notebook (the one that started after Sarah got bashed) and I'm writing page 53, and I haven't quite written up to that part yet. Don't fret- I'm waiting for it just as anxiously are you are!

MordSith-Rahl- 5 MINUTES? THAT IS STILL FAR TOO LONG! If you come on a student exchange thing, there is an excellent program on that at Toowong- but wait, ITS CLOSING DOWN! The stupid government is closing down my school! Those damn jerks of politicians! I think mangoes in all its forms are disgusting- and I live in one of the most mango rich places on earth! If you kick my ass sometime in the near future, can you make sure it ISN"T in front of my future bro or sis? I know how it is to watch someone get smashed up when your little, and it isn't a very good thing. I just reckon it's weird that I'll be getting a sibling at almost the EXACT same time Sarah did! Except, it will be related to me from my mum and I'm actually happy about it.

No, the speaker is not a woman.

atsuibelulah- well, I wasn't around for the eighties so I think that the dress was super scary- I'm serious, I used to have nightmares about it eating me.

Websurffer- I like dun dun dun better, myself. You really think its confusing? Well, I guess she's just upset- I mean there has been a lot of stress on her lately…

Calendae- well, it's drop in this chapter.

SmeagulTheWeasul- I want one too. I adore peaches.

Eleanora Rose- here it is, oh, but you didn't threaten me, Severin. Your more polite half stopped you before you could. I'm glad that you could read this as I've always held you in highest esteem. You really have Jareth tied to a chair? I should try that sometime…

BatteredChild- I didn't know you were from Australia! That is so mondo cool! I know about the gum tree thing, I love em and I thought some of these Americans who are deprived of our superiorly beautiful flora should realise what they are missing out on. Don't you agree?

Petra15- her ya go!

bobmcbobbob1- Anything is possible, I spose. My mum wasn't around with armour hotdogs, so she couldn't tell me. I think Sarah's brain will heal faster. I can't believe you were going to quit reading! I really am persuasive, aren't I? Well, at least I gave you that option, many people like fluff- fluff that I just can't supply.

Silver Angel- really? My mum says that to me ALL the time. 'what is so funny in there?' 'Nothing you'd understand, mum' and that such

LabyLvrPhx- really? No-one else does, that's for damn sure.

Kat095- Jarry? Oh, dear, another nickname. I just call him Gobby.

Obsessor-of-inuasha- I'm happy u heart this, I certainly don't. this is the worst work I have ever done. I detest Sarah with all the fiber of my being. She must DIE! Ah, well, might as well make her happy before I shoot her down. Lovely child, aren't I?

Chapter 19

The Secret's Out

Jareth and Sarah looked up to see Hoggle storming towards them. He was so far away from the table that he hadn't realised who Jareth's dinner guest was.

Jareth stood up and moved in front of Sarah, shielding her from Hoggle's sight and keeping his word. '_Leave_, Hoggle, you have not been invited and this is a _private party_,' hissed Jareth coldly.

Hoggle didn't pause in his rampant (A/N ? What the-? Can Hoggle even _BE_ rampant?) stride down the hall. He halted, panting and glowering, in front of Jareth. 'You filthy wretch! What is this rumour I heard about Sarah (_my_ Sarah!) being here? In the Underground! With YOU!'

'Hoggle,' growled Jareth menacingly, 'you _will_ leave, before I do something I might regret.'

'I'm not goin' anywhere 'til you tell me what is goin' on! Where is she? Taking her was _not _part of tha plan- th' plan that _you_ agreed to!' yelled Hoggle, his stout body bristling with anger and worry. 'I can't believe I trusted you! You're a despic'ble swine who only does thin's when they are in your interest- no-one else's! You aren't fit to clean th' scum from th' rocks in the Bog of Eternal stench!'

Sarah covered her eyes with her hands as she listened to one of her best friends shout obscenities at the Goblin King- for her sake.

Jareth quickly glanced over his shoulder at Sarah's weakened emotional state, then turned his blazing eyes back to his uninvited guest. He didn't mind the name calling- it actually amused him a little- but the stress that Sarah had to deal with at the moment… well, it was too much. 'GET OUT, HOGGLE! YOU-' he broke off as a slim hand wrapped with bandages touched his elbow.

Sarah stood up and looked at Jareth sadly. 'It's okay,' she said.

Jareth nodded and stepped to the side, allowing Hoggle to see Sarah.

'It's okay,' she said again as Hoggle's jaw dropped several centimetres.

'Sarah,' he breathed, 'what happened t' you? Did he-' Hoggle glared at Jareth, who glared back.

Sarah touched Hoggle's shoulder. 'No, Jareth saved me.'

'Then,' choked Hoggle, 'who?'

Sarah shook her head. 'Nobody worth remembering.'

Hoggle looked closely up at Sarah. 'He,' he jerked his head in Jareth's direction, 'didn't take ye', did he?'

'Not in that sense.'

Jareth cleared his throat loudly.

Sarah and Hoggle looked round at the noisy monarch, then they turned back to each other.

'I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was here, but I just didn't want you to see me with a broken wrist and three cracked ribs,' said Sarah warmly.

Hoggle nodded dumbly. 'But what about Ludo and Sir Didymus?'

Sarah looked sad and bit her lip. 'Please don't tell them. Sir Didymus would shout and take up arms to avenge my honour,' she giggled at the thought. 'And Ludo just wouldn't understand. I will see them eventually, but until then this must be a secret.'

Hoggle nodded. 'Can I see ye' tomorrow?'

Sarah looked over at Jareth, who inclined his head briefly. She smiled, 'Yes.'

Hoggle grinned and patted her hand. 'See ye' tomorrow, then.' He tottered out of the room.

Sarah sighed and looked round at Jareth. 'Situation averted.' She sat back down in her seat and stabbed a violet coloured piece of meat with her fork.

Jareth chuckled and resumed his own seat.

After a while Jareth laid down his cutlery and turned to Sarah, who was fiddling with her vegetables with apparently no desire to continue eating.

'So what about desert?' he offered.

Sarah looked up hopefully. 'Desert? What do you mean like brownies drowning in almost ready-to-melt ice-cream?'

Jareth grinned. 'If that's what you'd like.'

'Um, no. Brownies are gross.'

'O…kay. Well, what about a desert you've never tried before?' he asked.

Sarah smiled, a definite 'yes'.

Jareth waved his hand and the dinner plates vanished. In their places appeared two bowls.

'What is this?' asked Sarah, prodding the pie-like dish with her spoon.

'It's called scrappleberry jaffa pie.' He spooned some of his up, twisted it into the chocolate sauce at the edge of his bowl and popped it into his mouth.

'Your favourite, I presume', said Sarah.

Jareth smirked. 'Perhaps, but there _are_ some things I like better.'

There was something in his smile that made Sarah nervous. She blushed and had some of her own desert. Apparently, scrappleberry was a mixture of the tastes of strawberry, orange and apple. Mixed with pastry, coffee and chocolate, the result was very pleasing.

Jareth raised his eyebrows. 'Well?' he asked.

Sarah grinned. 'It's alright.' She took another spoonful of desert, noticing out of the corner of her eye that he was still looking at her. She smiled inwardly and finished her desert.

Despite his preoccupation, Jareth finished his scrappleberry jaffa pie much faster than Sarah finished hers.

Sarah sighed and laid down her spoon. 'I couldn't eat another bite even if you threatened me with a dunking in the Bog of Eternal Stench.'

Jareth chuckled. 'You don't need to worry about that sort of treatment.'

'That's good to know.'

Jareth stood up and offered Sarah his arm. 'I'll walk you to your chambers.'

Sarah stood and took his graciously offered appendage.

Jareth lead Sarah through his castle to her rooms.

They stopped in front of Sarah's rather plain door and Jareth brushed a stray strand of hair out of Sarah eyes, tucking it behind her ear. 'Would you like to visit the city tomorrow? There is a market on.'

Sarah smiled. 'Sure. If Hoggle can take me- I don't want him feeling unappreciated.'

Jareth bit back the urge to look disgusted. The little dwarf had helped him, it was true, but Jareth just couldn't see why Sarah would want to spend more time with that little cretin than with him.

Instead, he just said, 'I will speak to him about it.'

'And… also, can I talk to Gwyn again? I mean, if she isn't busy?'

Jareth's brow creased. 'Why? Is there anything wrong?'

'Oh, no. She's just, well, I like talking to her.'

Jareth smiled. 'She has that effect on a lot of people.'

Sarah looked at him without speaking for a moment. 'Goodnight.' She leant up and kissed him on the cheek and then bolted for her room.

Jareth blinked and touched his face where Sarah had kissed him. He grinned and turned on his heel, clicking down the corridor.

0o0o0o0o0

Sarah sat down on her bed. 'I shouldn't have done that… I shouldn't have done that… I shouldn't have done that,' she whispered to herself. She laughed breezily.

_Oh, my God. I just kissed Jareth…so why don't I feel terrible about it? _Sarah hugged herself and then got ready for bed.

She went to sleep with a smile on her face.

0o0o0o0o0


	20. Pillow Talk

Now, lovelies I hope you have read the new summary. Interesting, isn't it? And a new chappie! So quickly!

-Jareth appears in a puff of glitter that makes Lady sneeze-

(Lady) ha-ha-hachoo!

(Jareth) Er, sorry. But, I have been thinking about what you said last chapter and I have decided that I will make more time for you. Beginning today. Would you like to come with me to the cinemas?

(Gabriel) –walks in with a bunch of roses- What's going on here?

(Jareth) This is a _private_ conversation.

(Gabriel) I can see that. Anyway, -brushes past Jareth and hands the roses to Lady who accepts them warily- I just wanted to ask you to the Moon Festival at Shorncliffe Beach next weekend.

(Jareth) Look here! Now I was asking Lady something so you can just wait your turn!

(Lady) OK! QUIET! Now, I have no idea what the two of you are up to, but here are my answers; Jareth- if you insist on wearing that outfit, then I cannot be seen with you in public-

(Jareth) –plucks at his shirt- What's wrong with my clothes?

(Lady) Don't interrupt me, and, EVERYTHING! Anyways, also the fact that I would have to pay for your ticket and your munchies because you have no money. Same with you, Gabs. The Moon Festival costs MONEY! Not that the fire twirling isn't mondo cool, and all, but there is also a great deal of drinking and since my friend Feargul ditched me there last time, I don't really want to go.

-Both feys drooped their shoulders and traipsed away sadly-

(Lady) Anyway, to the shout outs!

atsuibelulah- I'm 14 which means that I was born in 1991, which means that I will be 15 just before my baby bro or sis is born. What is ooc? And if you meant orange county- then YOU ARE SO EWWW! THAT SHOW IS RETARDED!

BatteredChild- Um, a platypus would be perhaps a little… cliché don't you think?

Also, there are a few Author's Notes in this chapter, just showing that I wish no part in the fluff it contains. Why don't you make up your own minds?

obsessor-of-inuasha- HOW DARE YOU MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT _YOU_ LIKE JARETH MORE THAN ME? YOU ARE SO VERY, VERY WRONG! But I hate Sarah for what she did to him- left him broken hearted and all that jazz. I don't want to BE in her position! EWWW!

Petra15- Yes, she kissed him. You know, I knew a girl called Petra once…

Calendae- Hey, I'm on holidays- this is what I do best!

bobmcbobbob1- I know you're greedy- but isn't everyone when it comes to a half decent fic? Yes, I'll admit it, its half-decent. Hoggle appreciates the hug.

SmeagulTheWeasul- You love the fluff? That's my new muse, one of my pokemon. Thanks for the congrats! I'm so exited! I've never been a sister before!

Silver Angel- thanks- I can't wait! Mum and I were actually talking names last night; Madeline or Brianna, she thinks, for a girl. Callen for a boy. But I like Michael and Katrinn.

Elenea Galad- Well, that's good news. I have had reports that my Jareth is- to take a line from one of our Australian Idol judges (not Dicko- the other one- KYLE!); Wobbly, dibbly, dobbly. I hate Kyle, he said that Lee was boring! Lee is not boring! He has pink hair and piercing! He is the cutest guy in the top 11!

MordSith-Rahl- I was the baby too- and the eldest. I'm an only child so mum was worrying about how I'd cope. I hate mangoes. They are gross. I know what that wink means!

Chapter 20

Pillow Talk- or- What happens when Sarah Williams has Severe Caffeine Deficiency

_Warmth. Arms hugging Sarah tight. Love. A beautiful sunset…_The dream was interrupted by a cheery voice;

'Sarah, dear. Wake up, dear,' murmured Gwyn.

Sarah groaned and turned away, only half awake and getting sleepier. She put a pillow over her head. 'Noooo', she moaned.

Gwyn frowned. She had been trying to get Sarah to wake up for five minutes now and this was the liveliest response she had received from the semi-comatose girl.

The red haired healer sighed. _Let's see Jareth deal with this. I would wake her up myself… But it would be more entertaining to let him do it._

She left Sarah's chambers, closing the door and turning to Jareth who was pacing the corridor with a glowering Hoggle. The two waiting men were carving twin trenches into the stone floor.

Jareth turned to Gwyn impatiently. 'Well? Is she up yet?'

Hoggle glared at him. 'You must have tired her out yesterday.'

Jareth towered over the wizened dwarf. 'I did no such thing, Hodgewonk. It was probably _you_ who stressed her too much when you barged in and used FOUL LANGUAGE during DINNER!'

Hoggle pointed a finger up to Jareth's face. 'I've heard much worse coming from YOU'RE OWN mouth, your _majesty_!'

'Why you little-'

'Er, hem', coughed Gwyn. 'Can we put this aside for the moment? The fact is that Sarah is still asleep. So who will wake her?'

Jareth looked up immediately. 'I'll do it.'

'Bu-' before Hoggle could properly fashion an argument, Sarah's door was already closing in his face. Whether or not Jareth had used his magic to speed his movements was unknown to the dwarf, but Hoggle seemed to admit defeat and waited quietly, if impatiently, out in the corridor.

0o0o0o0o0

Jareth closed the door behind him silently. Sarah's room was still, the only movements being the rise and fall of Sarah's chest as she breathed and the glittering dust motes as they floated in and out of the rays of golden Sun that trickled through the windows. (A/N beagh!)

The whole scene reminded him of a song that Sarah used to play, that he had heard once when he was checking on her (not spying!). In fact, he began to softly hum the tune as he edged up to Sarah's bedside.

_This song_, he thought. _It's called Perfect day, I think. But who sang it? Wait, this is not the time to be thinking about that…_

Sarah hugged a goose down pillow as she slept, her long brown hair falling in a slightly tangled mess onto her other pillows. She had the covers pulled up to her chest, only revealing the sleeves of her long nightgown.

The bedclothes, like her hair, where somewhat tousled, as though Sarah had thrashed in her sleep, perhaps while she was enduring nightmares, but for now she was calm. (A/N EWWWW!)

In the bright sunlight, Jareth couldn't really see that Sarah had been hurt- even though he knew it to be so. To him, for now at the very least, she was an angel, a blissful incarnation of peace that graced him with her presence.

(A/N What? Is this me? What am I writing! MUST STOP WRITING MUSHY STUFF!)

(_Evil cackle_. Resistance is futile.)

(oh, sure tell me this AFTER I try, why don't ya? You suck as a new romance muse, Nightlass)

(_Nightlass-who is a gengar- shrugs_ That's what you get for having a pet as a muse.)

(Why you little! _Jumps at muse and fights her_)

Jareth sat down on the edge of the bed. He gently touched her shoulder. 'Sarah. Sarah', he said softly.

Sarah didn't move.

Jareth frowned. He shook her arm and called her: 'Sarah! It's time to get up!'

Sarah moaned and hugged her pillow more tightly. 'No, I don't wanna go to school,' she grumbled. Her eyes were still shut.

Jareth raised and eyebrow. 'Sarah, you have to get up or you won't be able to go to the markets with… Hodgeweg.'

Sarah seemed to be slipping back into sleep.

'Sarah, if you don't get up this moment, I swear I will dunk you into the Bog of Eternal Stench!' Jareth snarled impatiently.

Sarah eyes snapped open. The pillow that she had been hugging so innocently just a moment before was swinging around and hitting Jareth hard in the head and chest, knowing him off the bed. 'I', (wack), 'WAS', (wack), 'HAVING', (wack), 'A', (wack), 'NICE', (wack), 'DREAM!' cried Sarah angrily as Jareth tried vainly to deflect her blows with his hands. (WACK!)

'Sarah- ow!- Sarah! Stop! I'm sorry-ow!'

There was a short cackle from the open doorway.

Sarah and Jareth whipped around in distraction, the pillow dropping from Sarah's limp fingers as she saw Hoggle and Gwyn in the doorway, laughing fit to burst at her antics.

'What?' whined Sarah. 'I _was_ having a good dream!'

Jareth rubbed his head. 'You shouldn't have pillows… Because you hurt with them…'

'Don't tell me you don't think you deserved it!' snapped Sarah threateningly, pointing a finger at Jareth's chest.

Jareth put his hands up in his defence. 'Okay! Okay! Fine! Calm!'

Sarah snorted and flicked the covers off her body. She got up, stepped over Jareth and stood with her hands on her hips. 'So, will you all leave so I can get dressed?'

Hoggle and Gwyn, still giggling to themselves, turned to leave.

Jareth merely stood up.

Hoggle glanced over at the motionless king. 'Coming?'

Jareth raised his eyebrow at Hoggle. 'Why should it be your business if I stay?'

'It's not', said Sarah from behind him. 'But it is my business.'

Jareth looked back at her. 'I need to talk to you.'

Sarah looked at him sceptically, then nodded to Hoggle, who left the room. She folded her arms across her chest. 'Well, start talking', she invited irritably.

Jareth blinked. 'Alright then. Did you take your medicine last night?'

'Yes, I had it before I went to sleep.'

'Have you applied any of the cream yet?' Jareth asked.

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Because I haven't gotten around to it yet,' said Sarah, beginning to get really annoyed.

'Ahh,' said Jareth knowingly.

'Is that all?' snapped Sarah. 'Because I _really _need some coffee.'

Jareth smirked. 'Oooh, aren't we irritable?'

Sarah glared at him. 'I'm a night person.'

'Really?' he asked suggestively.

Sarah's glare intensified. 'Get yourself out of the gutter and tell me your point.'

'To which point are you referring?' asked Jareth in a beguiling fashion.

'THAT'S IT!' cried Sarah. 'OUT! OUT!' She pushed him towards the door, which she yanked open as soon as it as near enough to wack Jareth in the head.

'Ow!' yelped Jareth, still walking backwards. 'Come on, Sarah, I'll be reasonable! Your bed will not even enter our conversation!'

Sarah's eyes flashed. With one last gargantuan heave, Jareth was sprawled out in the corridor. 'I'll see you at breakfast!' she said vehemently and she slammed the door in his face.

Jareth blanched at the sound. As he began to pick himself up off the floor, he heard a very unimpressed voice very near his head:

'Hmm, what's this about Sarah's bed?'

0o0o0o0

-wipes trail of blood from cheek- well, I won. NO MORE MUSHY STUFF! YAY!


	21. The Dryad Princess

Okay- everyone, thanks for the congrats about being a future big sister. Please don't say it anymore, because I'm not getting a sibling any time soon. Pregnancy complications… People ask me how my holidays are going, right? So, I go, in this really cheery voice; 'Great! I spent three days in the hospital living off bad coffee and bad biscuits in the emergency wing.' And they don't have a cafeteria in the emergency wing, so that's all I ate. You'd think that after 12 hours, they'd have a bed for mum that WASN'T in the maternity wing! At least they had a kiosk there. It was really scary- magnified by the fact that one of my stints in the waiting room was over FIFTEEN HOURS STRAIGHT! I'm not even exaggerating! I got to the hospital at about 7:30, and I left at 11:15. I was a walking zombie at the end of it- but I got off better than mum…

Obsessor-of-inuyasha- DAMN ME? DAMN ME? OH, I HAVE JUST THE MIND TO STOP UPDATING BECAUSE OF THAT SLIGHT! No I won't, because I am so nice. And yes, I do love Jareth more than you do. And I just like making romance with him. Then again- WHO IS READING THE STORY WITH SARAH AND JARETH! You don't hate me.

Elenea Galad- please continue your own fic. I know mine is funny but you MUST get over it.

Solea- no, not by Lou Reed. The song I'm talking about is sung by a woman.

The rain has moved on

And left a new day

Everything is still

Nothing seems to move

It's just a Perfect Day

The shadows and light

Met where we're going

Wet and violent squirrels

Splashed with Summer spray

Just another Perfect Day

On the wild and

Misty hillside

Fear is Nature's warning

Hunger here is never far away

And all of this world is for children who play

Days that never end

On a sheltered lake

Another Perfect day

atsuibelulah- Yes, I am what you prehistorics call 'young' . OC IS THE SUCKYEST SUCK OFN A SHOW THAT EVER SUCKED! D'YOU KNOW THAT IT'S BECAUSE OF THE OC THAT DOLLY MADE FF OUT TO BE A SESSPOOL FOR LOWLIFES AND SCUM? YEAH! IT DID!Oh, and my friend Jacqui says hi.

Calendae- yes I thought it was funny, too.

bobmcbobbob- yes, I have to explain to my mum about that sort of thing far too often. Here, this should satisfy you… for 5 minutes at least.

SmeagulTheWeasul- yes, and also when she has bricks )wink, wink(

SilverWing02- yeah… please don't mention it.

MordSith-Rahl- I NEED AN UPDATE ON THE STORY WITH JARETH MAKING SARAH RUN THE LABYRINTH AND ITS ALL DEAD. Is it called second time around?

Petra15- thanks

geckogirl- oh, I think Nightlass was just playing. She's a pokemon from my Leafgreen game, you know? She's a ghost.

Silvertears- well, she's just been through terrible trauma. That does a lot to people's mental status. I love that I'm still getting readers.

fractured-reality04- OW! Piss off and let me work! Ps, piss off is an everyday term here, it's the substitute of 'shut up' in America

BOWIEgirl- I have missed you! You haven't reviewed in so long! Are you ok?

Snape-is-da-bomb- I love that I'm getting new readers and I'm glad you like it so much! LOL

Watergoddesskasey- thanks, I think it was funny too.

Sinthetik angel- thanks muchly

Amalthea727- I'm sorry about labycat, but it was just a chore for me to do, and that betrayed any purpose I had to start it, so. Continuing!. Did you know that your penname is the name of the goat nymph that suckled Zeus in ancient mythology?

I don't own Drew Barrymore.

Chapter 21

**Dignitaries **part one

The Dryad Princess- and co.

Jareth's eyes widened as he looked up and saw Hoggle looking directly at him. Sarah's friend was wielding his spray can in a very threatening manner, with a matching expression on his wrinkled face.

'Uh…'

Hoggle's hands tightened on his weapon.

Jareth swallowed and stood up slowly, then he realised that it mightn't have been the best of ideas as Hoggle was now in a good position to knock off his…knees. 'Um…nothing.'

'Nothin'? Nothin'?' Hoggle sniggered, happy to be using on of the king's own lines against him. 'Nothin', tra la la?' he finished brandishing his spray can just as Jareth had brandished his disguise in the Tunnels of False Alarms. 'I guess that's why she threw you out, huh? Nothin'?'

'What's it to you? Hmm?' asked Jareth loftily.

Hoggle shifted his spray can so that now he carried it like a club. 'She's my friend', he growled.

'Well, that's very well and good, but I have guests in the dinning room, so I must leave', said Jareth with more calm than he felt. Even tiny dwarves can be a little scary when they're carrying big metal objects and they want to hurt you, and you can't hurt them because the mortal whom you are entertaining just happens to be said tiny dwarf's best friend.

'Then _go_, your_ majesty_', hissed Hoggle.

Jareth eyed Hoggle's weapon cautiously. 'Tell Sarah that I'll be in the dinning room.'

Hoggle's face remained expressionless and he did not reply.

Jareth nodded uncomfortably and he teleported himself to, instead of the dinning room, his study where he brushed his hair out of his eyes and sighed at the delinquency of Sarah's friends.

'Trouble in paradise?' asked a lilting voice from behind him.

Jareth looked around at the woman lounging in his leather chair with her daintily slippered feet on his desk, on top of a few very important documents. Jareth could tell that she had put them right where her feet would rest just to annoy him. And it did. 'Hello, Ramona.'

Ramona stood up, letting her long light green dress hang down her slim form to the floor. She had long blonde hair- a rarity for her kind- brown eyes, pale skin from living under the canopy of an indescribably huge forest and delicately crafted fingers.

Her green dress was off the shoulder and clung to all her curves. There was a long leg slit in the right side, showing her leg and slippered foot.

She walked over to Jareth and wrapped her arms around him, planting a big kiss on his cheek.

'Hmm, shouldn't you be in the dinning room with all the other dignitaries, Dryad Princess?' asked Jareth.

'Oh,' said Ramona, releasing Jareth so she could wave her left hand dismissively, as if the Troll King and everyone else in the dinning room were not even worth her time. 'Possibly. But I don't care. I got bored, Gobby, and I wanted someone interesting to talk to.'

'And you immediately thought of me, I'm so very flattered.'

'Gosh', said Ramona, swatting his arm, 'don't be so formal, J-Bear. Someone hearing us wouldn't even think that we'd known each other for two centuries!'

'Is there anyone hearing us?' asked Jareth.

'No.'

Jareth put his hands on his hips. 'We should be getting to the dinning room in any case. And how many times must I remind you NOT TO CALL ME J-BEAR?'

Ramona shrugged and linked her arm through his. 'I dunno, Gobby boy, I just don't know.

0o0o0o0o0

Hoggle lead Sarah to the doors of the dinning room. 'I'll be in the gardens when you're finished, then we can visit the markets.'

Sarah nodded. 'Well,' she said bracingly. I'll see you in a bit, Hoggle.' She pushed open the double doors.

Everyone at the table fell silent.

Sarah smiled warmly. 'Good Morning, all,' she said cheerily as she went to sit down, then realised that she had no idea where to sit. _Okay, where do I sit? Someone throw me a life jacket, please! They're staring at me… does my hair look okay? I'm just too nervous… remember what Drew Barrymore said… what did she say? Oh, yeah! breathe. Breathe._

Jareth jumped up and strode up to Sarah. 'Are you alright?'

'Of course I am, your majesty', said Sarah using Jareth's title instead of his name- just so she wouldn't unknowing commit any faux pas. 'I've had some java and now I'm ever so sorry for whacking you with my pillow. Repeatedly. In the head. In my drowsed state, I quite forgot that bricks would have been much more afflicting.'

Ramona giggled and Jareth paled a little. 'I'll make a mental note never to put bricks in your room. Ever.' Turning to his other guests, 'This is Lady Sarah Williams, the first to complete my Labyrinth… ever… in my reign, that is. My lady, this is Jolungus the Troll King, Legolas the Elf Prince, Fenrir the Fairy King and Ramona the Dryad Princess.

Sarah waved her hand and tilted her head a bit.

Jareth smiled and steered her over to the seat next to the Troll King. He pulled out her chair for her and then sat back down at the head of the table.

Sarah sat down and looked around, feeling that it was perfectly alright to do so as everyone else (with the exception of Jareth) was staring at her.

Princess Ramona sat at Jareth's right hand, in the chair that Sarah usually occupied. Legolas, whose name was oddly familiar, sat next to the Princess. He had white blonde hair in a similar hue to Jareth, but his hair was much longer than the Goblin King. He wore a tunic in green, tights in light grey, dark grey boots and a green jacket. His eyes were green/grey and his face was well formed. His ears were small and delicate-looking, coming to a point at the ends

On Jareth's other hand, his left hand, sat the Fairy King, Fenrir. He had short black hair and really really big ears, making Legolas' look sub-standard. He had slanting brows and twinkling blue eyes- well, they would be sparkling if he were smiling. Instead, he was frowning. By the many deeply etched lines in his face, Fenrir had not smiled in a long time. He had a squat body that looked as if, in his own day, he had been a very handsome warrior, but now all that he had of his glory days was an empty scabbard at his side. He wore loose pants, boots and a loose tunic, all in light blues. To show his status, he had two translucent wings on his back. They were small enough to belong to a sparrow- if a sparrow were to have see-through wings.

Next to Sarah sat Jolungus of the Troll Kingdom. He had white hair and a mangled face. He was very old, but seemed wise. He had a wonky gold band on his forearm. He wore browns and greys in a style much like Fenrir's, apart from the shiny wings. Jolungus was quite tall and had not let himself go as the Fairy King had.

As everyone stopped staring and conversation re-emerged, Sarah got an overwhelming sense of unimportance. She felt ignored and lonely; feelings that she had never felt around Jareth before since she had returned to the Labyrinth. Between vexing her, yelling at her and being irrefutably sweet, how could she possibly feel ignored?

Sarah fazed out the dinning hall, the table, the people, and got lost in her memories of the past few days.


	22. Flashbacks and Lord of the Rings

Chapter 22

**Dignitaries **part two

Flashbacks and The Lord of the Rings

Hi everyone! Cheesy flashback alert! DANGER! DANGER! SANE READERS!

I don't own JRR Tolkien or The Lord of the Rings

Also, tomorrow not a good time for me. Mum is chukin' another one of her spazez so I'm crashing at a friends for a couple of nights. Don't feel bad if I don't reply, just remember that I'm writing your stories, aight?

atsuibelulah- 1 I did not mean to insult you- just that we are all entitled to our opinions, and my opinion is that the OC is on a stick. You are allowed to have your views, I think, but not to force them on anybody. 2, dolly is the leading teenage girl mag in Australia and they did an article about ff being a place for OC fans to get together and mass drool over Seth or whoever. 3 Jacqui is saying hi coz she was at my place while I was shouting the shoutouts and she wanted to say hi (she is the abovementioned 'crashing' friend.).

MordSith-Rahl- ok, a party. I wish I had a party to go to…

GABRIEL: (blows up a balloon) one party comin' right up!

SilverWings02- I'm glad you liked it. My favourite fics are ones you can visualise.

Calendae- not really much I can say to that. thanks.

bobmcbobbob1 thanks for the hugs, I did need one, and better yet, I got two!

Snape-is-da-bomb- oh, well I don't really know how they flow from me. I just think about what I want out of the story (ok, the ending, right), the characters (bitch-face, sloppy-Joe and cuteness), the setting (THE POO FACTORY!- sorry, ongoing joke) and the beginning (right, ok… )and then you fill up the middle. I'm ok, really. I was lonely as a kid, too. He he, that's why I'm so good at writing, I used to tell myself stories to keep me occupied when I had no friends (I was a fat kid) and I used to read at lunchtimes. I'm thinking of incorporating snape- maybe as Angus' dad (don't yell at me! Take it or leave it!)

Petra15- thanx

Kadasa-Mori- I'll try to update asap, but there aren't many assurances for another chappie soon.

SmeagulTheWeasul- well, it was just dinner…

JenniferJ- I like to think that it's because of my madness. I was actually thinking about teaching a class…

_All sitting in a classroom with Lady up the front. There's Beast and Jareth and Harry Potter (?) and Lief (from deltora quest) and Cinderella's prince and others._

'_Beast, get that gum out of your mouth unless you are willing to share it with the rest of the class,' says me._

_Beast walks sheepishly up to the front, wraps his gum in a piece of paper and chucks it into the bin amidst sniggers from his classmates. He returns to his seat._

'_That's quite enough!' I say. 'Now, course number one; YOU MUST CONTROL YOUR TEMPER!'_

Amalthea7 – Ramona isn't all you think she is… betcha were shocked when you found out I was 14, hey?

fracturedreality- well, when you take over, can I still write my stories?

0o0FLASHBACK0o0

_Sarah was leaning over a flowerbed inspecting a strange variety of flower that looked like a bunch of opal coloured jellybeans._

_Suddenly;_

'_Sarah!' exclaimed Jareth, appearing behind her._

'_Aagh!' shrieked Sarah as she lost her balance and started to swan dive into the flowers._

'_Whoa!' Jareth reached out and grabbed Sarah around the middle. _

_She stooped falling and instead stared at the flower in shock._

_Jareth pulled her upright. 'Sorry for startling you, Sarah.'_

_Sarah sighed. 'Yeah. That's okay. I'll have to get used to you popping up behind me, I suppose.'_

_Jareth cocked his head. 'I suppose so. But it wasn't my intention to frighten you.'_

_Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. 'I was NOT frightened!'_

'_Oh, my mistake. But I just wanted to say that I found you something.'_

'_What?' asked Sarah curiously._

_Jareth had his hands behind his back. 'Which hand?'_

'_The left one', guessed Sarah. _

_Jareth brought out his left hand and opened it. Empty._

'_The other hand, then.'_

_Jareth brought out the right hand and opened it. Inside, perfectly uncrushed, was a small purple flower. It was bell shaped and had tiny little leaves on the stem._

'_Oooh!' Sarah cooed. 'It's pretty!'_

_Jareth smiled and cleared the hair from around Sarah's ear, slipping the flower beside her ear and securing it with her hair._

_Sarah touched the flower gently and then smiled up at Jareth. 'Thankyou.'_

_Jareth put his arm around her and gently lead her around the rest of the gardens…_

0o0END FLASHBACK0o0

Sarah was jerked from her flashback by Jareth clapping his hands in a gesture that she had begun to associate with the maids.

Instantly Vapora and two other maids emerged from the door on the other side of the room. The other maids seemed much cheerier than Vapora. One of them was short, had dark brown skin, greeny-black hair and long thin fingers. The maid next to her looked distinctly human; she was on the tall side, pale skin, long red hair, a short nose and round ears. She looked as normal as normal gets- apart from one really abnormal feature; her eyes were a poisonous yellow with no whites, just yellow and her pupils were catlike slits.

_Okay_, thought Sarah, trying to keep her mind off her flashbacks, _the short one has to be a brownie and the tall one… I have no idea! A dragon using an illusion, maybe?_

The yellow-eyed maid wheeled her tray over to Ramona and Legolas.

'How have you been, Victonya?' asked Ramona as the maid deposited a plate in front of her.

'Oh, your highness', said Victonya while she placed a plate in front of Legolas, 'I can't complain. The Fates are kind to me.' Her voice was soft and she slurred her S's strangely.

She curtseyed and vacated the dinning room.

Meanwhile, the brownie had come over to Sarah and the Troll King. She served Jolungus first, as he was of higher status than Sarah.

'My name is Finnely. You can call me if you need anything.' Her voice was pleasant, like the whispering dryness of fallen leaves in an autumn breeze. She put a plate in front of Sarah.

Sarah smiled. 'Thankyou.'

Finnely winked and departed.

Vapora completed her task of serving Jareth and the Fairy King and left after Finnely.

Jareth nodded to his guests and began eating, already apparently engrossed in whatever it was that Fenrir was saying to him, but in fact he was watching Sarah out of the corner of his eye.

Sarah began to pick at her breakfast, which happened to be some sort of green pancake with fruits and breads.

'So you're the famous Sarah Williams that I've heard so much about,' said Jolungus in his deep gravely voice.

Sarah looked up at him shyly. 'I suppose I am.'

'Did you really defeat Jareth's Labyrinth?' asked Legolas, leaning forward.

Sarah smiled. 'Yes, I did.'

'I heard you used enchantments and brainwashing to get you through, is that so?' asked Legolas, winking.

Sarah smirked. 'Well, I would have to say that those facts are ridiculously false and I got through the Labyrinth with the help of three great friends. And, with all due respect, I would also have to question your mind, your majesty, if I thought you dim enough to believe such idiotic waffle.'

Jolungus smiled slyly. 'Ahh, now we see why Jareth was keen to keep such a lovely treasure locked up.'

Legolas nodded his agreement. 'Were you trusted to anyone else, Lady Sarah, you would be married and with child by now.'

Sarah blinked at him. 'In three days? You lot sure work fast!'

Legolas and Jolungus erupted into gales of very different laughter; Jolungus' laughter was deep and echoing like the bottomless mountain caverns of his people whereas Legolas' laughter was light and carrying, like the litheness of the elves.

Sarah looked at Legolas scrutinisingly. 'I feel like I've seen you somewhere before. You seem extraordinarily familiar.'

Legolas looked at her suavely. 'Have you, by any chance, read _The Lord of the Rings _by J.R.R Tolkien?'

Sarah nodded. 'Yes, I have.' She gasped. 'That's who you remind me of! The Elf Prince of Mirkwood!'

Legolas retained his manner. 'You are very well versed in his works, then?'

'Oh, yes.'

'Then I guess I can tell you that it was I who inspired him to right the trilogy.'

Sarah's mouth dropped open, she didn't even care that she was staring. 'No way!'

Legolas grinned. He was beginning to like this mortal. 'It's true; the character you spoke of before was based on me. That Tolkien, he was a nice chap. I was ever so sorry to hear about his death, but I guess the time comes for every mortal, does it not?'

Sarah blew air out of her nose forcefully. 'Don't remind me,' she said dryly.

Legolas laughed again. 'You are a very entertaining child, do you know that?'

'I've been told that, though I have yet to receive official conformation,' said Sarah.

All the laughter that was coming from the far end of the table captured Jareth's attention immediately, and, more accurately, his jealousy.

_What are they saying to her_, Jareth thought warily.

The Goblin King was so engrossed in his suspicions that he missed out on about thirty seconds of whatever drivel it was that Fenrir was saying to him.

When he finally came to himself, he saw that Fenrir was glaring at him angrily, his violet eyes narrowed under mousy brown eyebrows. Ramona was sniggering into her orange juice and the laughter at Sarah's end of the table had long faded.

'Uh, sorry. I must have spaced out…' explained Jareth guiltily.

'I _said_ that I think fairies in your realm aren't given a fair deal', said Fenrir grouchily. 'Don't you agree, Ramona?'

Ramona looked up at him from blowing bubbles in her orange juice through a straw that wasn't there a minute ago and shrugged.

Fenrir glared again. 'Sometimes I question the intelligence of the High Court naming **you** Dryad Princess.'

Ramona slammed her utensils down on the dinning table.

0o0o0o0


	23. Worst Case Scenarios

Amalthea727- Um, no. I AM DENYING IT! It was just a figment of my imagination. I just always thought- even before I first read the book in year 5, that a royal bathroom would look like that. Fenrir is a real name, but to me it seems evil and stuff and I don't like Mr Fancy Pants Fairy Boy. I'm not talking about Jareth's fancy pants. I like his fancy pants (wink, wink)

Mord-Sith Rahl- One word- WTF? Cat? Oh, well. I had a great time at Jacqui's. She drew me as a character from The Corpse Bride. It isn't even supposed to be out on DVD yet in Australia (twiddles thumbs innocently) but our friend Ben's parents went to Bali (I KNOW! I AM SOOO GLAD THEY DIDN'T YET BLOWN UP!) and brought it back. I like my picture. She also drew me as a bunny from Wallace and Grommet- the curse of the Were-Rabbit. I think I look nice as 'Emzee Bunny'. That's what she named me.

SmeagulTheWeasul- I thought you'd like that- either like, or hate it. I just thought, we'll tlotr is such a big story, why couldn't it be possible that Tolkien had some help, eh?

Obsessor-of-inuyasha- I'm afraid to tell you this- but I have never seen/read/listened to tpoto. Please don't hurt me.

Bobmcbobbob1­- I want to get this story over with- it's such a drain. But there is much more to go- Jareth has to get REALLY angry first, then he'll do something bad, then Sarah will find out, then he'll … WAIT! I WILL RELEASE NO MORE OF THE PLOT TO YOU!

Petra15- thanks. You know, if you put more into those reviews, I'd have more to comment on. Thanks

Stardust4981- 'whoot'? what's so good about nz? You know, my cousin plays for the all blacks. I'm not even kidding. But Australia is the BEST place to be. Ramona isn't that bad, love. Just try and keep an open mind.

Chapter 23

**Dignitaries **part three

Worst Case Scenarios

'**What's that supposed to mean**?' she snarled. Anger that was almost impossible for one to fathom from one so young and delicate-looking was radiating from the Dryad Princess like a furnace on 'Overheat'.

'It _means_ that you are too childish and insolent to be a credit to your people and kingdom and you have not enough wisdom or even common sense to be an acceptable ruler!' said Fenrir snidely.

'**Oh, yeah**?' spat Ramona, standing up so fast her chair skidded to a halt one and a half metres behind her.

By this time, Legolas, Jolungus and Sarah had abandoned their good-natured conversation in favour of watching the spectacle taking place at the head of the dinning table.

'Now, Ramona, dear, be reasonable-' Jareth began, attempting to defuse an all out battle from occurring right under his nose.

'_Be reasonable_ he says!' repeated Ramona. 'Jareth, you think just like _Mr Graceful Fairy King_ over there, don't you? You think that I'm too young to be on the High Council! You think I'm too much of a ditz to do anything productive!'

Fenrir sniggered. 'I can think of one thing you can do that's productive…'

Ramona glared. 'In your dreams, pooncey boy.'

Sarah stared. _ Why, the cheek of that- that- that king! This is soo obviously a touchy subject- so why is the Fairy King making it worse?_

'I didn't say that at all, Ramona', protested Jareth loudly, standing up so his and Ramona's heights were more or less equal. 'I don't think that- I've never thought that and I never will. You are more than apt to rule your kingdom, that is what I think.'

Fenrir scoffed. 'You and no-one else.'

Jareth turned furious eyes on the Fairy King.

(A/N Oh, I just LOVE it when he gats angry…)

'What do you say by 'no-one else?' he growled warningly

'It is _really_ quite simple; no-one _believes_ Ramona to be a capable ruler,' said Fenrir silkily.

Jareth glared openly at Fenrir, who stood up. Now all of the warring monarchs were of more-or-less equal height- save that Ramona was about half a head shorter than either of them.

Sarah blinked. _Now, this just won't do_, she thought grandly. _I really **must** do something before this gets out of hand!_ It was as if one of the characters from the plays she used to recite had taken over her body and now she was equipped to handle any situation. _It's not like something like this has no consequences, either; this could escalate into a civil war! Okay, granted: worst-case scenario…_

Decided, Sarah pushed back her own chair and walked over to stand just a little behind Fenrir, successfully pausing the argument as everyone turned and stared at her.

'You know, I would _think_ that you lot would be intelligent enough to take care of this in a more appropriate location, but sometimes, I suppose, curtesies like these slip our minds', said Sarah imperiously. She had no idea where the words came from, but it seemed like a good idea to say them.

Fenrir made as if to say something to this most impertinent mortal, but said mortal held up her hand;

'Oh, no. You've had your say, now I most definitely shall have mine.

'Now, Princess of the Dryads, I would have to say that you must be an exceptional ruler for the High Council to appoint such station and rank to one so young. This said, you shouldn't care what busybodies like the Fairy King have to say.' Sarah poked her thumb in Fenrir's general direction.

'Anyway, I am _sure_ that his highness is _supremely _sorry for calling you childish et cetera and that he will apologise for it just as soon as his brain re-engages.' Sarah winked at Ramona and before Fenrir could figure out that she had just insulted his intelligence, she had already moved up the table and was standing in front of Jareth.

'Come here', she said, crooking a finger at him.

Jareth, who was by now very scared (but he would never admit to it), though you could hardly tell, obeyed, taking two steps away from the safety of the table.

Jolungus and Legolas leaned over so that they could see.

Sarah looked him over closely, tapping her lip. Then, with speed that would have made a striking snake envious, she reached into a pocket in Jareth's cloak and extracted from it a very large pouch full of coins- actually; it was far too large a pouch to have fit in the pocket. Sarah conceded that there must have been a vanishing charm on the pocket or something along those lines.

Sarah looked at her prize, not glancing at the surprised looks of her fellow breakfasters as she carelessly tossed it in the air and caught it again.

Jareth patted down his cloak. 'How did you know that was there?'

Sarah shrugged. 'Hoggle told me that he heard you jingle and that you don't usually carry around money. So, putting two and two together, I gathered that this', she shook the bag 'is for me. Thankyou, by the way.'

Jareth grumbled. 'Your welcome.'

'Oh, don't be sad I spoiled your surprise. Anyway, I'm thinking of redecorating my chambers. You don't mind, do you?' asked Sarah.

'No.'

'Oh, good. If you did, I would have done it anyway,' said Sarah matter-of-factly. 'So, I was thinking', Sarah put her hand- the one that wasn't holding what seemed to be a small fortune- out in front of her, as though she was imagining her bedroom, 'black. Black and… pink. Hmm, what do you think?' She looked inquiringly at Jareth.

Jareth looked at her like he thought she was crazy.

Sarah frowned at his reaction 'Well, it isn't as though it's your concern anymore.' She picked up a piece of toast from her plate and put the pouch of money in the crook of one arm. 'What do you think, Hoggle?' she called loudly.

'Wha- but- 'Ow'd you now I was 'ere?' came the surprised reply from behind the door.

Sarah opened the door and leant against it with her eyebrows raised as she surveyed a very shocked Hoggle. 'You are distrustful, you hate Jareth and you were hoping I'd save you a piece of toast,' explained Sarah and she handed him the bit of toast she was holding.

Hoggle looked at the toast and cocked his head. 'Ye' can't argue with that…'

Sarah smiled. 'C'mon, Hoggle,' she flicked her wrist and the pouch of coins rolled into her hand and she tossed them into the air again, 'I have', she caught the flying money bag, 'a bag full of coins just _aching _to be spent!' She waved to the people still at the table. 'Ta-ta!'

Sarah walked briskly down the hall with Hoggle in tow, munching on his toast.

The monarchs just looked at each other. Ramona and Fenrir sat down, but Jareth was too stunned to do anything but stare at a nearby wall. He would never have thought that Sarah would do anything like that. He was also very worried about what she was going to do to her cambers.

Legolas heaved a great sigh. 'She'd make a hell of a queen.'

That brought Jareth out of his musings.

0o0o0o0


	24. The Markets

Ok, guys. I'm at home with the flu. Imagine me, if you will, sweating my GUTS out in this horribly hot Queensland weather and blowing my nose every 3 minutes. You don't want to, do you? Don't worry about me; I've just been doing my science assignment… which was… kinda due today and my maths homework (that's for tomorrow). My mum's roommate just moved in, so I haven't really had much time to do anything. Oh, god, just shoot me now! Well, here are the shout outs!

Elenea Galad- I know, right? That couldn't have gone better!

Bobmcbobbob- well, what I mean is that- no offence to the majesty that is my imagination- but since Princess 'left' (I am still not over that, poor me) this story has only been a painful reminder of what she helped me with- homework, reading- any sort of English work, actually. And mostly she just helped with crapping all over my page, but I think she crapped with love. Um… I wish I could have heeded your advice with the whole 'take care' thing, but the flu kinda creeps up on you.

SilverWings020- I'm glad you thought it was funny. Maybe I should write it down- we have to do a stand up comedy thing for drama, and I SUCK at it!

Gi Xian- I like Legolas too. The hair (and the fact he's orlando Bloom) get to me… mmm

Calendae- thankyou

MordSith-Rahl- you haven't seen it? I love it- my friend Jacqui says I look like the corpse bride (Emily) except for the revealing dress, the whole WHITE bit and the whole blue/dead bit. The weird thing is, it's true. Anyway, I'm having a Halloween party next weekend and Jacqui is going as Emily, but I made (ok, altered. It was a wedding dress from lifeline and I just made it corpse-y) her costume. I'm going as sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas (funnily enough I look like her too.).

Silver Angel- I suppose you did, but thanx anyway.

SmeagulTheWeasul- oh, it'll look like it did before, except black. I'm not going to go into the details of it.

Dreaming One- Um, a new reader? You got attracted by all those snazzy reviews and thought you'd check it out, huh? It wasn't meant to be funny, just insightful; if Jareth can turn up the volume when sarah is with a guy, then he must be watching, right? Well, Jareth was old enough to be fighting trolls in 1298, so pretty old.

Amelthea727- Sure will!

Petra15- thankyou…

LabyLvrPhx- are you british? 'bloody brilliant' is a very british thing to say- unless ur impersonating ron weasly, who is british. Nothing against british people, we kinda owe our.. well… culture to u guys… anyway! I'm glad u like the story.

Obsessor-of-inuyasha- um… what the? Couldn't make out one sentence of your review

p.s. what does it mean when you tell a guy (after becoming friends with his, routinely plucking out his hair, stabbing him with pens and pinching him with incredible force) to go screw himself (this guy TOTALLY deserved it! he got this tryhard Mohawk haircut and after that he became such an arsehole and was really mean and I just HAD to put him in his place) and then you take the next school day off because your sick and he CALLS YOU TO SEE HOW YOUR DOING and you go 'what do you want' listen to him jabber on a bit, then 'look, can you wrap it up coz I feel like I'm gonna hurl and I don't want to chuck up on the phone' (I seriously said that to him) and then he hangs up on you. Everything should be okay, right? I mean he should take the message and run with it. Wrong. He ASKED ME IF I WANTED NEOPETS IN A TEXT! Then I got a little cranky and I sent him some threatening stuff about the homework due the next day and how he can shove his farty neopets up his hairy and the next day he was asking me how I was and if I wanted some gum. And I know he got the text coz he showed it to me! Apart from farting in his face (which ive kinda already done, as well as burped the alphabet he was really grossed out by thethe time I got to letter d) can you guys help me to get him AWAY FROM ME? PLEASE? I'LL UPDATE MORE IF I GET SOME GOOD ADVICE!

Chapter 24

The Markets

Hoggle took Sarah out of the front doors of the castle. Nothing could have prepared her for the whirlwind of colours, smells and, above all, noises that was the Goblin City Markets.

It seemed that it wasn't only goblins that attended the markets, but all types of creatures; there were performing fieries, dancing dryads and elves, fey juggling goblins (thus their skills were to be admired as the goblins had quite a few very pointy bits) and many musical bands comprised of all of these beings and more.

There were brightly coloured stalls everywhere with almost every kind of ware available with just as many strange and different salespeople;

'Potion bottles, spare potion bottles for the avid brewer!'

'Books, writing books, written books, quills and ink!'

'Jewellery; amulets, precious stones, rings for all tastes!'

Sarah's head spun and she had to grasp the wall nearby for balance as the smells of spices- cinnamon to be forefront-, incense, cooking food and so many other things assaulted her mind.

'Sarah?' asked Hoggle 'Are you alright?'

Sarah grinned and righted herself. 'I'm fine. This is definitely my kind of place!'

Hoggle smiled and swallowed the last of his toast. 'Where to?'

Sarah put her tongue I her cheek. 'Hmm… EVERYWHERE!'

Hoggle took Sarah around to see the musicians and Sarah gave each of them a gold coin, which Hoggle called a 'Flute'.

The musicians, most of which were fey playing various instruments and some of the ones who were singing were nymphs and dryads, all bowed to her, thanking her profusely. Apparently a Flute was a lot of money.

Hoggle showed Sarah all of his favourite trinket and jewellery stalls and Sarah bought an intricately made gold amulet with an amber coloured stone set in what was made to look like a claw.

Hoggle had advised her that her purchase was genuine in both metal and stone. Sarah handed it to him so he could appraise it better.

Hoggle ran his thumb over the amulet. 'Tha' is a very rare stone. Very magical. And the claw, tha's special. Owl claw. Symbol of protection.' Hoggle tipped the amulet back into Sarah's hand. 'A strong protection amulet you have there.'

Sarah fastened it around her neck, where it hung safely between her breasts. She didn't feel the need to tell Hoggle that she already knew that it was an owl claw, that she had bought her amulet specifically for that feature because it reminded her of Jareth. It would help her remember that someone special was watching out for her. 'Now can we go look for a material stall and then a drapery? I want some new curtains and a new bedspread so I can make over my room and annoy Jareth.'

'Right y'are milady!' Hoggle took Sarah's hand and lead her skilfully through the crowd.

When they found a material stall, Sarah chose out plain black cloth for curtains and black cloth with tiny pink sequins for a bedspread.

'I can tell you a good seamstress if you like', offered the young fey woman as she handed Sarah her change (two silver coins, Brands, and one coin that looked to be made out of bone, Pips).

'Please do', said Sarah excitedly.

'Go to the dwarf down the street. Her name is Fortuna and she is the best seamstress in this city. Only charges a pittance for her work, too. Tell her I sent you,' said the lady, pointing outside her stall to a tidy store down the street.

'Okay, thanks', Sarah took up the material, giving Hoggle a bit of the black as he insisted he could handle it, and traipsed down the street, with Hoggle puffing behind her.

0o0o0o0o0

Meanwhile, up at the castle, Jareth was very bored with the proceedings of his royal summit. He liked the Troll King- a very nice chap despite that little falling out between their two kingdoms in 1298- but just not enough listen to him ramble for _hours_ about how people didn't appreciate that not all trolls were stupid.

Jareth felt his eyes grow unfocused and knew that to retain his sanity, he must find _something_ to do that was even remotely interesting.

He absent-mindedly fingered the bump on his head where Sarah had hit him with her door. He blinked and then grinned.

Jareth summoned a crystal and looked into it._ This is not babysitting_, he thought, _it is not spying. I am simply, er, checking up on her and her friend Hodgebodge. _

The crystal remained blank.

Jareth frowned, no longer in his good mood. The only reasons for someone to not be shown to him was if they were out of the crystal's range, being shielded magically from him or… or…

Jareth shook his head. _No, not that. She isn't… she can't be… dead._ He conjured another, more powerful crystal and sought Sarah out again.

His worried features and hasty crystal summoning had drawn had drawn the attentions of his guests and Ramona came over to him.

'What's wrong?'

Jareth shook his head again. 'I can't find her,' he said in a dazed voice. I can't, I can't see her…' he was staring avidly into the crystal, moving it so that he could see every angle of absolutely nothing.

Ramona's face transformed into a mask of absolute horror; she knew who Jareth was talking about and how much that 'who' meant to him. 'Rally the troops!' she cried dramatically. 'Sarah Williams has been taken!'

Legolas stood up, anger written all over his face. '_Yes!_ We shall find the wayward maiden! And we shall crush her vile kidnappers!'

Everyone stared at him.

Ramona itched her cheek a little. 'Um, what about Elvish conduct? Aren't you Elves supposed to be gentle and unable to hurt people?'

Legolas shrugged. 'There are more important things in life.'

Fenrir sighed. 'The meeting is being postponed, isn't it?'

The other royals looked at him as though he was crazy and it was all Jolungus could do to keep Jareth from leaping on Fenrir and 'whoopin' his ass'.

0o0o0o0

Jareth and Gabriel are sitting together in a dark room. 'I can't believe Lady won't let us handle this 'Alex' guy…' grumbles Jareth.

'We could have deep fried his red-haired butt any day of the week,' agrees Gabriel.

Jareth shakes his head. 'She's just to kind for her own good.'


	25. It's nice that you care'

Okay, I know you guys r going, 'she updated again? In one week? Yeah, its just that I'm sick with the flu, watching Bridget Jones's Diary 3 times in a row (that actually implicates the story late on- BLUE SOUP!) and playing knowledge adventure games that I got from maccas- they're actually pretty good. I have third grade- a testament to my dad who actually remembered (originally) which grade I was in (at the time, I was in year 4, so he got me that game for my birthday, then we realised that it was way too hard for me, so mum exchanged it.).

I haven't done one of these for a while, but I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT RAMONA AND FENRIR AND JOLUNGUS AND FORTUNA AND THE HEALER CHICK!

Elenea Galad- Glad you enjoyed it

Queen of the Damned Lily- I'm glad YOU like it, too

Calendae- hopefully I will

LODOWN- I think our good old j will take good care of her.

SlilverWing02- Nah, I won't. sigh, I hate comedy when I'm doing it. Sopies, that's what I'm good at, got an a, best mark in the class.

Lady of the Labyrinth- hello me. Yes it is cool I can do that. IM NUTS!

LabyLvrPhx- yeah, its spring here now- who gets sick when its spring and there are freaking thunderstorms every other night? I ask you? I also gave it to my bf, so I feel like the worstest friend in the galaxy.

Obsessor of inuyasha- um, yeah. Congrats, I could understand that review!

TwinTiger- oooh, a newie. U were attracted by all them snazzy reviews, huh? I guess I got tired with sarah being an incomprehensible little brat and Jareth just lying back and taking it. I LIKE JARETH THE REBEL!

Bobmcbobbob1- easy;

girl meets boy,

girl befriends boy coz he is new kid,

boy turns out to be jerk- but jerk with good fashion sense and really funny reflexes (when I pulled his hair out, he made the funniest noises, soon all my friends were doing it!) and also was a wimp (when he got beaten up –my cousin helped- he was really scared),

girl tells boy to go screw himself,

boy doesn't get message

And then he just keeps on being all kiss-arsey

Mordy Rahl- ? um, with the aardvark thing… actually I did! His mum is a huge bitch! I hate her! she can die! Thanx, my mate and I r going to a huge Halloween festival tonight on the gold coast! Go us!

0o0o0

0o0o0o0o0

Chapter 25

'It's nice that you care'

Sarah opened the shop door and went in to wait at the shiny counter. Before too long, a pretty little dwarf came up to her and stood up on a stepladder behind the counter.

'Yes? How may I help you?' asked the dwarf, presumably Fortuna.

'I'm here to see Fortuna about some work,' said Sarah boldly.

'Well you have come to the right place, my Lady,' said the dwarf. 'I am Fortuna. And what kind of work are you interested in?'

Sarah shifted her armful of material and pushed it onto the counter. 'I need some curtains and bedding made from this material and the lady in the stall down the street recommended you.'

Fortuna laughed. 'That Porche, she dolls me up so. But I am reputed to be the best, no matter what I do. So, where are the measurements?'

Sarah blinked. 'I knew there was something I'd forgotten! The measurements! That is, I forgot to take them,' she added sheepishly. 'But I can just get my friend…' Sarah looked around for Hoggle but he seemed to have disappeared.

'Do you mean that dwarf outside?' asked Fortuna helpfully.

Sarah looked out the window and saw that Hoggle standing outside facing the street. She turned back to Fortuna. 'I'll be right back,' she said and she went outside. 'What are you doing out here Hoggle?'

Hoggle rocked on the balls of his feet, still staring at the cobblestones of the street. 'That Fortuna…she's a lovely gal.' Hoggle sighed dreamily. 'Very pretty. Funny. Smart.'

'Uh, huh. Stop now before you hurt yourself. You _like_ her!' she teased and poked Hoggle in the chest.

'Do not!' said Hoggle, swatting at her with the reel of material he was still holding. 'And don't poke me!'

'Yeah you do!' said Sarah. 'How did you meet her?'

'We met at the F.S.S., the Fairy Spraying Society. She comes to the meetings on the weekends', said Hoggle.

'Okay, this is what we're going to do: I'm going to go up to the castle and get the measurements for my curtains and all that and _you_ are going to go in, put my material on the counter and _talk_ to that interesting lady inside. No buts!' said Sarah, holding up her hand just as Hoggle was about to protest. She pushed Hoggle into the shop. 'Be brave!' she whispered to him and she slipped out the door and made her frequently-getting-lost-and-needing-to-ask-for-directions way up to the castle.

Hoggle swallowed nervously. 'Hello.'

0o0o0o0o0o0

It had only taken about fifteen minute for Jareth, Ramona and Legolas to organise a search party comprising mostly of the goblin army, a few fey, a dozen dryads and three drunken dwarves. A few dryads were already searching the markets discreetly to save the entire band going down into the city and freaking the townspeople out. Everyone was unanimous on that respect; the suspected abduction of Sarah Williams was to remain within the castle walls.

Jareth was stalking around the throne room, which was where he had set the search party up. He couldn't keep still so he strode about the room, yelling at anyone that

'WE SHOULDN'T BE WASTING TIME! WE SHOULD BE OUT THERE ARLREADY!'

Legolas went over to him. 'We just need to wait a bit longer. We need to study the magical fields around your kingdom's boundaries to see if she's gone beyond your borders-'

'I DON'T CARE! WE SHOULD ALREADY BE OUT THERE!' roared Jareth, cutting him off.

Ramona's patience snapped. She went over to Jareth and slapped him hard across the face. 'Calm down! She's fine! Get a hold of yourself, Muddy-Daks!'

Jareth's face was bright red and had an imprint of Ramona's hand on it, but he wasn't angry. He'd gone beyond angry. 'I told you not to call me that', he said in a low voice.

Ramona gave him a hug to boost his spirits. 'Sarah is perfectly okay, I know she is.'

'Then why can't I see her in my crystals? Where is she?' he asked weakly.

'Hey Jareth.'

Jareth broke away from Ramona and turned around to see that Sarah was in the doorway and was just about to walk down the corridor. She apparently hadn't noticed that everyone in the room was staring at her.

Jareth ran after her and caught her arm. 'Sarah?'

'Hi. I was going to ask you to help me with something but you were… sort of… busy.' _Busy is right, hugging Ramona, with her better hair and prettier face and ability to wear dresses with slits_, thought Sarah icily. _Jealous? No way!_

Jareth looked shocked. _That's a very strange thing to say if you've just been kidnapped._ 'Where have you been?' he asked in a voice harsher than he had meant.

Sarah cringed away from him a bit.

Jareth quickly saw his mistake and rushed to mend his tone. 'I couldn't see you in my crystals. I was worried.'

'I'm okay,' said Sarah carefully.

'Are you sure?' Jareth pressed. 'You haven't spoken to anybody, you don't feel nauseous, you haven't-'

'Jareth, I'm _fine_! The worst thing that happened to me today was getting lost on the way back from the drapery. I wasn't kidnapped or anything', soothed Sarah, then her brow furrowed. 'But if I'm alright, then why didn't I show up on your crystal?'

'I don't know. The only ways for you not to be shown to me are if you were shielded from me or…' Jareth looked uncomfortable.

'Or what?'

'Dead.'

Sarah's eyebrows rose considerably. 'Oh. Well, I'm not dead, unless being dead is just like being alive, because I don't feel any different to how I felt this morning. I've only been shopping.'

Jareth ran a hand through his hair._ This doesn't make sense_, he thought,_ if Sarah's all right, then… is my magic faulty? No, it can't be._ 'So what were you going to ask me about?'

'I was going to ask you to help me take the measurements in my room', said Sarah.

_That's normal enough_. 'Is that all? What else did you buy?'

'I bought this amulet thingy.' Sarah fished her new trinket from under her bodice.

Jareth took it in his gloved hand, making Sarah stagger forward a step as she was still wearing it. 'What's this?'

'It's a protection amulet. The gem is rare and powerful. And it's in an owl claw, which reminded me of you.'

Jareth looked at her and the corner of his mouth tweaked into a smile. He looked down at the amulet again. 'At least I'll know you'll be safe while you're wearing this if even I can't track you.'

Sarah put the amulet back under her dress. 'So you were planning a search party for me? Is that why half the town is in the throne room?'

'Yes.'

'And now you have a lot of explaining to do?'

Jareth groaned. 'Yes.'

'Well, it looks to me like all this mess would have been avoided if you weren't trying to spy on me', said Sarah sagely.

'I… uh, just wanted to make sure you were alright,' said Jareth guiltily.

Sarah smiled warmly. 'It's nice that you care.'

Jareth felt a tiny blush on his cheeks. He conjured his riding crop and twirled it in his fingers. 'Which measurements do you need?'

'My curtains and my bedspread.'

'Done.' Jareth waved his free hand and a parchment with tidy writing on it appeared. He gave it to Sarah and she checked the numbers. Nothing was missed.

'Thankyou', she said. She took the list and disappeared down the hall.

Jareth looked after her, then took in a deep breath and prepared to enter the throne room. He ready did have a lot of explaining to do.

0o0o0o0


	26. Caught!

I'm sooo sorry that I haven't updated for sooo long- but it's summer here and it gets up to 40 DEGREES! CELCIUS! SERIOUSLY, I HAD SILLY PUTTY IN MY ROOM (which, right now I'm supposed to be cleaning…) AND IT MELTED! There are no cooling devices in the area where my computer is, so right now- well, think of me as the silly putty…

Chapter 26

Caught!

Sarah hurried down the narrow cobbled street that Fortuna's shop was on. _I've already been far too long. Oh, poor Hoggle has probably made a fool of himself._

She opened the shop door unaware of what she was interrupting.

Hoggle broke away from Fortuna, turning a shade of red that was much brighter than usual.

Fortuna rubbed her lips and smiled saucily.

'Who-ho-oa! Do you guys want a more private room?' asked Sarah.

'Sarah- I- it isn't wha' it looks like, it's a-' Hoggle rambled.

Sarah laughed and shook her head. 'No, I know exactly what _that_ was.' She bent down and pinched Hoggle's nose, moving his head from side to side. 'You were smoochin'!'

Hoggle swatted her arms away.

Fortuna cleared her throat. 'Did you get the measurements for your order?'

'Uh,' Sarah stood up and handed over Jareth's list. 'Here'

'Thankyou.' Fortuna's eyes scanned the page. 'These will be ready in about a week. You can pay on delivery. It's also a term of service that I keep the remaining fabric.'

'That's fine,' said Sarah.

'Right, now I need a name and address.'

'I'm Sarah, Sarah Williams and I live… well, just ask for me up at the castle.'

Fortuna's eyes narrowed a little. 'The castle? In any chamber in particular?'

Sarah smiled. 'That's for me to know, and you to gossip about. I'll see you in a week.'

Hoggle hurriedly opened the door. 'I'll walk you back, Sarah'

Sarah stepped out of the shop into the rapidly cooling dusk air. The streets were bathed in a bright orange glow.

'Hmm, I didn't think it was that late. I can't be dusk already,' said Sarah.

'Oh, haven't ye' noticed?' asked Hoggle as they walked down the cobbled street. 'Sunset here lasts for at least an hour. The people are still out, but the marketers have gone home, as some of them need to travel a long way.'

Sarah smiled at a group of children who were playing a game similar to 'Piggy-in-the-Middle' in the street. The ball rolled over to her and she picked it up and gave it to a child with dark green skin and straw-coloured hair.

'So,' said Sarah airily, looking over at Hoggle. 'How did that happen?'

'Wha' happen?' said Hoggle while he pretended to be overly interested in watching a few elves dance into a little house.

'The little scene I walked into in the store. Should I refresh your memory?' Sarah grinned. 'It had the sound effects of a plunger-'

'Alright! The whole city doesn' need to know!' hissed Hoggle. 'She started talking to me about the F.S.S, and then… I don't know, she jus' sort of…' Hoggle let his arms go limp.

Sarah laughed. 'I know how that is; you meet someone you like and you talk to them and then you lose track of time and you get lost in whatever spell they're weaving on you and you have no control.'

Sarah's voice had taken on a dreamy tone and she had begun to walk a little wobbly. Her brain had started to formulate pictures of someone her words had described to hers mind.

'You ain't talking abou me anymore, are you?' asked Hoggle.

'Huh? Yes I am, you just have to, uh, give her one of your roses. Yeah, a really big one. I've seen the ones you grow, and even Jareth thinks they're gorgeous,' said Sarah.

Hoggle glowed with pride. 'He said that?'

'Not in those words, but he does think that they're good.'

'That's a good idea, giving her o' of my roses, they're the bigges' blooms in the Labyrinth, you know? Award winning. But what colour do I give her?' asked Hoggle.

'What's her favourite colour?'

'I never thought to ask her,' mumbled Hoggle.

'Too busy doing this;' Sarah made some kissy noises.

'Stop that,' said Hoggle.

Sarah laughed. 'So get her a purple one. Everyone likes purple.'

Hoggle nodded. 'Thankyou.'

He and Sarah walked up the castle steps.

Hoggle shrugged. 'This is where I leave ye'.'

'Yep. Do you have the time?'

Hoggle ferreted around in his trinket pouch, causing the contents to jingle noisily. Finally, he found what he had been looking for; a gold pocket watch. 'Erm, abou' five minutes to five o'clock.'

Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't understand why, but she had felt anxious about being late for dinner, which was ridiculous as dinner was always served promptly at seven thirty. 'Thanks Hoggle. I'll see you… when will I see you?'

'Prob-ly not tomorrow, that's the F.S.S. meeting and I got to go pick my best rose for Fortuna.'

Sarah smiled. 'Then you should just come over whenever you like.'

'I will,' replied Hoggle.

Sarah pushed at the doors and they swung open immediately. They were, in reality, bone-crushingly heavy, but if they were given the order to open for someone, say, Sarah, they would open at that someone's slightest touch. They're very well mannered.

Sarah went through the doors and waved to Hoggle as they closed. She traipsed back to her room and stared at her vodka-flavoured medicine, sitting there on the table, begging her to take some and feel better. And then she stared at the bruise cream that was telling her to use it and hurt herself more.

Sarah sighed and gingerly picked up the cream. She unscrewed the lid and sniffed the white ointment cautiously. It smelt like eucalyptus and rose.

Sarah recapped the cream and went to run herself a bath. She stripped off and eased herself into the warm forgetful depths.

After a long while of sitting and relaxing and luxuriously washing her hair, Sarah got out of the bath, drained it and towelled off. She sat down on the edge of her bed and smeared her bruises with the fragrant cream, wincing when she rubbed too hard.

Once her bruises were taken care of, she did her hair up into a ponytail and used the curling iron she found in one of the bathroom cupboards to curl the hair into ringlets.

Sarah chose a light yellow gown with a darker bodice to wear to dinner because the dress she'd gone to town in wasn't appropriate. She'd have worn her other dress if it had only been Jareth there, but since there were all of those strange royals from all over the Underground…

Sure, Sarah liked them. She could see herself and Legolas becoming good friends, but she couldn't help but be a little intimidated by the rest, those powerful figureheads who ruled over thousands.

Sarah hugged herself and looked up at the clock. 7:20.

_Where has all the time gone?_ she thought and she left her chambers, takingher blue medicine with her so she could have some later.

Sarah wandered through the corridors and found herself eventually at the dinning hall. Se let herself in as she had done that morning and sat down at her seat.

Sarah sat there, wrapped in her thoughts for a few moments, then the side door of the hall opened and Finnely emerged.

'Hello', said Finnely as she walked up to Sarah and pulled out the chair next to her- the one that was usually occupied by Jolungus.

'Hi', said Sarah happily. 'How are you?'

'Oh, Miss, I'm very well.'

'You don't have to call me 'Miss' or anything', said Sarah. 'I'm just plain old Sarah.'

'No, you are anything _but_ plain! You defeated His Majesty's Labyrinth and brought emotion back to his bitter heart', corrected Finnely.

' 'His bitter heart'?' asked Sarah. 'I don't understand; if Jareth was bitter when I was here last and the Labyrinth flourishes when he's happy, then why was it green when I beat him?'

'Well', said Finnely with the air of one about to embark on a very long, very tedious explanation, 'it's not really known for sure what happened, but the Labyrinth has never, under His Majesty Jareth's rule, bloomed as well as it once did in his father's rule, or _his_ fathers rule for the matter of that. It has taken time for the decay and has only recently become so totally tarnished that it was a danger to everyone inside it. Something truly horrible must have happened to the king for his heart to shut off everything and cause his kingdom to crumble.' Finnely gave Sarah a moment to digest this.

'But now', Finnely said with renewed fervour, 'the Kingdom has the potential to be truly glorious, rather than the struggling weed it had been reduced to at the time of your first visit. His Majesty is feeling again.'

'…' said Sarah. 'How do you know all this?

Finnely patted Sarah's hand maternally. 'I'm a brownie, dear. I keep very close ties to the land.

Just then, the door creaked open.

0o0o0o0o

I did it! I finished a chapter! I feel like crap… would you believe I started this chapter in summer and now its winter?


	27. Bad Memories

Chapter 27

Bad Memories

A/N- Quote for the day; Daniel Cleaver, Bridget Jones's Diary:

'Christ is that _blue_ soup?'

Ramona walked into the dining hall. 'It looks like we're both early', she said.

Sarah nodded. She looked around at Finnely, only to find that the little Brownie had vanished. It was then that Sarah registered the side door to the dining hall swinging shut.

'I've been meaning to thank you for what you did this morning, the way you broke up the fight', said Ramona.

'Don't worry about it.'

'J-Bear's been a lot happier lately', said Ramona conversationally.

'Who?' asked Sarah.

'Jareth', said Ramona.

'Oh. Is that what you call him?' giggled Sarah.

'Yeah, he hates it!'

Sarah grinned. 'He's fun to annoy, isn't he?'

Ramona laughed. 'And to think I thought we had nothing in common.'

0o0o0o0o0o0

Jareth strolled up the corridor to Sarah's rooms. He hummed a tuneless song that ended up turning into _Perfect Day_.

_Yep, she has that successfully lodged in my head now_, thought Jareth.

He was so cheery that he didn't even mind.

Fenrir was gone, as was Jolungus, as the Summit of Neighbouring Kingdoms had drawn to a close about an hour ago.

Jareth was glad that it was all over.

_Until next year, I suppose_, he thought.

Jareth stopped in front of Sarah's door and rapped his knuckles upon it. He waited a few moments and when he didn't hear any sound from within the chamber and neither did the door open, he decided that Sarah had probably already gone down to the dining hall. So Jareth made his way down to meet her.

_I hope Legolas has not hatched any ideas about her_, he thought as he walked. _I might just have to remind him who she belongs to- er no, she doesn't belong to me... well- she does **technically** belong to me... but... I won't be enforcing that ownership... I'll stop thinking about this now..._ he thought finally as his mind created a knot of his thoughts.

When finally Jareth reached the dinning room, he opened the door to find Sarah and Ramona deep in conversation.

They looked up at him and grinned evilly.

Jareth saw their sinister smiles and immediately backed away. He backed all the way out the door then turned around and ran down the corridor.

The dinning room exploded with hysterical laughter.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Jareth burst out of his castle and ran into his gardens at top speed, exhausting all of his energy.

'Jareth?'

Jareth looked around and Legolas jumped down from a tree branch, landing sure-footedly on the grass.

'Why are you huffing and puffing?'

Jareth wheezed a little and clutched a nearby bench for support. 'Sarah' (gasp) 'and Ramona... in the dinning room... together.'

'Oh, mutiny, you think?' asked Legolas.

Jareth nodded.

'The only way to combat this is to go in with no fear,' said Legolas. 'And a healthy backup.'

'You're insane.'

'At least I wasn't stupid enough to put my oldest friend in the company of the great Sarah Williams,' said Legolas derisively.

Jareth finally caught his breath and sat down on the bench. 'Good point. Okay, I'll face them.'

0o0o0Ten Minutes Later0o0o0

'I don't want to go in,' hissed Jareth to Legolas as they stood outside the dinning room.

Legolas massaged his friend's shoulders encouragingly. 'Yes you do.'

'I can' do it, they'll TORTURE me!'

Legolas stopped rubbing Jareth's tense muscles and folded his arms. 'Every second that those two are alone together is more ammunition that they're pooling to use against you!'

Jareth breathed out. 'You're right. I have to do this. I can hear the cheesy inspirational music- no, wait, I can really hear it.' Jareth turned around.

Legolas guiltily stopped playing his flute. 'I thought it might help.'

Jareth opened the doors and strode fearlessly into the dinning room.

Sarah and Ramona leapt into action; they linked hands and made a circle around Jareth.

'Ring-a-Ring-a-Rosie!

A pocket full of posies!

A-tissue a-tissue!

We all fall down!'

As the two sang it again, Jareth hung his head. 'You told her,' he said tonelessly.

Sarah and Ramona broke their circle and laughed.

'Yes I did. Sarah has a right to know what happened in your childhood,' said Ramona primly.

Jareth looked daggers at his tormentors. 'I bet you didn't even tell her the full story, just that I was walking around in dirty pants.'

There was a suppressed chuckle from the doorway and Legolas approached the distraught king and his abusers. 'I hope you aren't talking about the time we let go of him.'

Ramona nodded mutely.

Legolas burst into laughter.

Jareth glared holes in the elf. 'So you BOTH conspire against me!'

'Oh, great,' said Sarah, 'now we've got him all paranoid.'

'I am not paranoid!' exploded Jareth.

'Are you sure? You LOOK paranoid,' said Sarah.

'WILL YOU ALL PLEASE STOP MESSING WITH MY HEAD!' shouted Jareth, completely losing all of his composure.

'Geez, _chill_,' said Ramona. 'If you're so sure we've wronged you, then why don't you tell _us_ what really happened that rainy afternoon?'

Jareth drew himself up. 'Yes, I think I will. Over dinner.'

Everyone took up seats at the dinning table.

Jareth, as always, took the head seat. After Ramona insisted, Sarah took the seat on his right hand. Legolas sat next to her and Ramona sat at Jareth's left hand.

Jareth didn't call for the maids this time.

'They have the night off,' he explained after Sarah asked after them. 'So this meal is BYO.'

Sarah looked around. _Okay, I have no idea what that means..._

Ramona nodded and waved her hand over the bare table in front of her. Immediately, a bowl of what seemed to be blue soup materialised into being complete with cutlery and a goblet full of water.

Legolas put his hand on Sara's shoulder. 'Don't worry; I'll get yours.'

His manner reminded Sarah of what a guy says to you on your first date to the movies. You get your purse out to buy your ticket but the guy says, 'Don't worry, I'll get yours.'

_So where have I heard that before? _she thought. _Well, I don't want to sound rude, but this isn't a date. I hope he doesn't think I'm interested in him... because I'm not..._

'Sarah, are you alright?'

Sarah blinked and found that everyone was staring at her. 'Oh, sorry, I must have spaced out.'

'So what should I get you?' asked Legolas.

'That's alright, Legolas, I can take care of Sarah,' said Jareth a bit less than good-naturedly.

_Okay, _thought Sarah,_ now I feel like I'm with two guys on a date._

It has to be said for Legolas that he knows when to quit; the Elf Prince simply shrugged and conjured his own meal.

'What will you have?' asked Jareth.

'Um... would you like to share a pizza with me?' asked Sarah

Jareth grinned. 'What a marvellous idea. What kind?'

'Hawaiian please and thankyou.'

Instantly, a huge plate of steaming pizza appeared between Sarah and Jareth. Ramona and Legolas looked at the dish with unrestrained curiosity.

Sarah didn't bother explaining the concept of pizza to them and instead merely ate her way through two slices without pausing for breath, glad to have something in her stomach besides air.

-------------------------------

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I'M SORRY! OK? IM SORRY! I'm also co-writing a fanfic with my friend Sara (isn't it cool? I made a friend!) under the penname Emara-Lou and the story is called The Tome of Unreachability if you wanna check it out. Ideas for spells are welcome.

Please have mercy...


	28. So This Is What LSD Feels Like

Chapter 28

So this is what LSD feels like

Jareth cleared his throat. 'Well, Sarah, it seems that I must recount a time in my childhood when those whom I call my friends committed a cruel act against me.'

'It wasn't that bad-' began Legolas.

'I WAS WALKING AROUND IN DIRTY PANTS!' cried Jareth in an unusually high voice.

Legolas looked down at his plate.

'Anyway, Ramona and Legolas were at my castle for a play date. It had been raining but we went into the gardens regardless. We started playing Ring-A-Ring-A-Rosie, a game in which we linked hands and spun each other around until we got so dizzy that we couldn't see straight.

So we started playing. But, just before I became really dizzy, the other two let me go, and I landed in a very deep mud puddle.'

Sarah snorted and then choked on her pizza.

'Landed backside first,' added Ramona.

'And it wasn't really that deep, you just had trouble getting out because you were crying an flailing around,' said Legolas.

Sarah's laughter rang through the hall. She could hardy breathe. When she regained her composure, Jareth continued.

'When I picked myself up, my pants were… soiled.' There was a lengthy pause in which Sarah laughed so hard her lungs felt like they were on fire. 'And everyone thought I had…'

'Oh, stop,' gasped Sarah. 'That's too much, I can't take it…' Then all coherent words were swallowed up by her inane giggles.

'Hey Jareth,' said Ramona. 'I hate to break it to you, but I never told Sarah any of that stuff.'

'What?' asked Jareth and Legolas at the same instant.

'She just told me you'd do something funny if we sang Ring-A-Ring-A-Rosie,' said Sarah.

Jareth put his head in his hands.

Sarah looked at Jareth. 'Want some pizza?' she implored. _Boy, did they go too far. We went too far._

Jareth looked up at her and vanished.

'He always takes things so seriously,' said Ramona.

'I'd better go find him,' said Sarah guiltily. 'Dinner's been great.'

'Sarah, don't go,' said Legolas.

'Sorry, Lego, no can do, See you.' Sarah rushed out of the hall.

Legolas glanced at Ramona. 'What did she call me?'

0o0o0

Sarah had no idea where to look for Jareth. _I should have asked for directions,_ she realised.

Sarah took a few hesitant steps right, but then felt compelled to go left. At the nearest branch of corridors, she went right, but this lead her to a dead end. There were flickering torches in brackets attached to the walls everywhere, casting eerie shadows and making the stone seem to drip and bleed.

_Freaky_, thought Sarah. _I should go back…_ But she paused and instead obeyed the strange feeling that was telling her that Jareth was nearby. He was so close… He was-

_HERE!_ thought Sarah triumphantly as her hand slipped though the 'wall'. She passed through the ersatz wall and found herself, not in a cleverly disguised side corridor as she had expected, but a richly furnished sitting room.

Books lined shelves along one wall, silk woven rugs covered the floor in a riot of unspoiled colour and strangely there was a gilded window showing the star sprinkled sky, despite the fact that the room appeared to be in the core of the castle.

Portraits of regal looking fae and elves were crammed on the walls. There was a cold dead fire in the marble hearth.

The room was lit by lamps sitting on the tables and one magnificently decorated stained glass lamp rested upon a low-set coffee table that sat in the centre of a ring of comfortable looking armchairs and couches.

It was in one of these armchairs that Sarah saw the top of a very blonde head. Jareth was staring at the ashes of the long derelict fire.

Sarah picked her way past the tables and chairs towards the back of Jareth's head, and, hopefully, the rest of him.

She sat down on the arm of his chair and picked up his right hand in both of hers. 'I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad.'

Jareth jiggled her hands. 'I know.' He suddenly jerked his hand roughly and Sarah slid into his lap.

Sarah let out a squeal as she fell and then looked up at Jareth. 'Hi. Why'd you do that?'

'I didn't mean… uh… That wasn't… uh,' Jareth stammered.

'Uh, huh.'

Jareth cleared his throat. 'That aside, how did you find this place? This is a private sitting room known only to the royal family. And now you, I suppose.'

'I don't really know. I just took a left and a right and then I was here.'

Jareth stared at her hair thoughtfully. 'Has anyone ever told you that the castle is merely an appendage to the Labyrinth?'

Sarah leaned her head against Jareth's chest sleepily and made a noise that was too soft to be distinguished between an affirmation and anything else for that matter.

'Well, perhaps the Labyrinth helped you to find me. After all, the Labyrinth is an-'

'Entity with a life force and presence of its own,' finished Sarah drowsily.

Jareth tilted her face up to meet his. 'And how did you know that?' he asked huskily.

'I-uh… I don't know.' Sarah sighed.

Jareth's head was a veritable spaghetti side dish of thoughts. And Sarah was little better.

Sarah felt a strange presence telling her to move forward a little-- she wasn't entirely sure if it was herself or another… something, and, frankly, she found she didn't give a damn.

But before she could do anything, Jareth had already captured her lips with his. Sarah's eyes snapped closed and her mind went curiously blank except for one solitary sentence that floated through the turmoil of thoughts like flotsam drifting in a stormy sea: _So this is what LSD feels like…_

Just as Sarah began to see dancing elephants behind her eyelids, Jareth leaned back and broke the kiss. Sarah gasped and drew a shaky breath and Jareth grinned at her, his pale, thin lips for once having colour.

'So what were you telling me about the Labyrinth?' asked Sarah sweetly.

I love you, my reviewers and the fluff does not stop.


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